A 3-year PhD position is available in the AquaScale lab in Lunz am See. Depending on the qualification of the applicant, the available grant can also be spent as a (shorter) PostDoc position. In this case the candidate is expected to apply for additional funding within the first year.
Background: Mixotrophic algae are key consumers of bacteria, and thus play a vital role in microbial food webs of lakes and oceans. Compared to photoautotrophic algae, our knowledge regarding their ecological traits is very limited. Open questions relate especially to their growth kinetics and resource requirements.
The aim of the project is to characterize elementary traits for selected mixotrophic bacterivorous phytoflagellates. In addition, chemostat experiments with natural and artificial communities along resource gradients are planned in order to validate expectations derived from trait data.
The candidate should have a good background in (aquatic) ecology and resource competition. Experience in cultivation of protists and/or microbes is desirable.
The AquaScale lab has excellent facilities for performing the proposed work. We host a culture collection with a representative number of mixotrophic phytoflagellates and other protists (list of available cultures). The project is financed through the ongoing H2020 project AquaCosm and runs parallel with an effort to develop semi-automated chemostats. WasserCluster Lunz is a well-equipped research institute, affiliated with the University of Vienna, University of Bodenkultur (Vienna), and Danube University Krems. The institute is situated next to Lake Lunz in a recreational landscape, 2h driving distance from Vienna.
Further info can be found here:
https://aquascalelab.wordpress.com/
HOW TO APPLY
Send your CV, a statement of your motivation, and names of two referees to robert.ptacnik@wcl.ac.at until April 16.
aquascale lab 