Open Positions
The Cluster of Excellence: “Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health” is looking for postdoctoral research associates, PhD students, and technicians to join our interdisciplinary research team at 8 leading research institutions across Austria.
We are seeking excellent, curious, and open-minded scientists to develop their potential in one of 19 work packages, spanning environmental (green), human (red) and methodological (blue) topics.
The Cluster of Excellence strategically links green, red, and blue projects to explore and understand fundamental principles of microbiomes across systems to strengthen planetary health. For that, mechanisms of microbial interaction, perturbation and interventions will be explored in diverse ecosystems such as permafrost, plant-soil interfaces, human gut or wastewater using the full spectrum of state-of-the art methodologies applied in microbiome research, including field work and cultivation, work with model organisms/systems, or massive sequencing and bioinformatics
Successful candidates (PhDs, PostDocs and technicians) will have full access to 9 staffed cutting-edge method facilities and will benefit from a unique and comprehensive mentoring and training program, including training in microbiome methods, transferable skills and entrepreneurship, as well as active career planning.
Recruits will be located at one of the partner institutions in Vienna, Graz, Linz or Lower Austria.
All PhD positions are fully funded for 4 years. The duration of advertised PostDoc and technician positions varies, as indicated in the specific positions (up to 4 years). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are filled.
Details on the projects, available positions, required qualifications, and the application procedure can be found below.
open positions at coe Microplanet
The following positions are currently available at CoE Microplanet.
PhD positions
PhD Position in MF6 Chemical Imaging
Duration of contract: 3.5 years
Planned starting date: October 2024
Place of work: TU Wien
Main supervisor: Bernhard Lendl (CV | Lab Homepage)
Supervision team: CAVS Research Group at TU Wien
Project description:
The aim of the dissertation is to develop modern on-line gas sensing systems based on state-of-the-art mid-infrared laser spectroscopy. Novel digital signal generation, data acquisition and data processing methodologies implemented on modern FPGA architectures are to be created and realized, based on intensive literature research and own ideas. The resulting methodologies are to be tested with existing and self-developed lab prototypes with the ultimate aim of improved sensitivity and ruggedness by quantification based on fitting of modelled gaseous analyte spectra. The work compromises writing scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and the presentation of the results at national and international conferences.
PostDoc positions
PostDoc Position in WP4.2
Duration of contract: 3.2 years
Planned starting date: ASAP
Place of work: University of Vienna
Main supervisor: Thomas Rattei (CV | Lab Homepage)
Supervision team: Alexander Loy, Stephan Krämer, Andreas Richter
Project description:
The PostDoc position is embedded in a multi-disciplinary team and will use mainly computational methods to study permafrost microbiomes. They will focus on reconstructing ancient DNA preservation in permafrost soils across gradients from the Southern boundary of permafrost in the boreal forest, to the continuous permafrost region in the Arctic tundra, to distinguish ancient and current microbial communities and elucidating their genomic potential by advanced bioinformatic approaches. The PostDoc position will not only analyze and model microbiome data from permafrost samples, but also improve the repertoire of computational tools and resources for modern and ancient soil microbiomes.
Together with the second Postdoc in this WP, they will be involved in the molecular analysis (18O-quantitative stable isotope probing and metagenomics) of the thawing experiments.
PostDoc Position in WP5.2
Duration of contract: 2.5 years
Planned starting date: January 2025
Place of work: University of Vienna
Main supervisor: Anouk Willemsen (Lab Homepage)
Supervision team: Gregor Gorkiewicz, David Berry
Project description:
This position will support WP5.2 by analysing the virome effects of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in a two-step process. First, we will analyse virome dynamics of publicly available sequencing data associated with FMT. Second, we will analyse an existing specimen collection of irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis patients to perform an in depth characterisation of the virome of the donor and the recipient before and after FMT. By combining these two approaches we aim to detect and quantify viruses and virus-like entities, link changes in the virome to disease, to eventually determine whether the virome allows for predictions for the clinical outcome of FMT. As the safety of FMT is an open discussion, we will also put a focus on the transmission of viruses that can potentially be harmful for the recipient.
Technician positions
Currently, there are no technician positions available.
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