Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences

The Department of Earth Sciences of Uppsala University focuses on subjects that range from the Earth's core to the atmosphere, on scales from submicroscopic structures in minerals to the formation of mountains and oceans, and from basic research on natural resources to research on how humans can sustainably manage these resources. For more information: www.geo.uu.se.

Project description: The project is a H2020 funded high-risk collaboration project between 4 different countries (Sweden, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands). The position will be funded by the Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, and is a collaboration with researchers at IEG, in Uppsala and the University of Wageningen, the Netherlands, where large scale experimental setup will be situated.

The focus of this project lies in understanding bacterial, archaeal and fungal weathering capacity of natural silicate minerals in large scale experiments. Increased weathering of silicates has been proven to increase the uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere and this project aims to search for the optimal conditions for high-rate silicate weathering and CO2 capturing by the setup of a multi-variable bioreactor. A large number of small-scale experiments will be connected to a machine learning system for continuous monitoring of weathering products and biological activities and the gathered information will be used for the development of a large-scale bioreactor. In this project, we will investigate the silicate weathering and biomineralization efficiency of pure and mixed cultures of prokaryotes (bacteria and fungi). Understanding siderophore and chelating compound excretion among prokaryotes will be of crucial importance in this project.

Duties: General bacteriological and fungal laboratory work, siderophore and chelate monitoring, gas analyses and mass balance calculations. As a postdoc in this project you are expected to independently drive scientific projects within the area, together with the project PI´s. The position is highly experimental and the applicant should be well acquainted with microbial experimental work. The position requires travelling to the University of Wageningen, in the Netherlands, where a considerable amount of the experimental work will be conducted. Scientific writing and editing as well as research presentations are a natural part of the position.

Requirements: To qualify for an employment as a postdoctor you must have a PhD degree or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in a relevant area such as Microbiology, Biogeochemistry or Organic chemistry. The PhD degree must have been obtained no more than three years prior to the application deadline. The three year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc. You should be a highly-motivated individual, with the ability to work independently. The candidate is expected to take own initiatives as well as to collaborate with colleagues both within and outside the research group. Ability to independently design experiments in microbiology, siderophore or chelate analyses is required. Many travels to the Wageningen University are required. Significant weight will be given to personal suitability such as; personal maturity, stubbornness, articulateness and stability. Excellent written and oral skills in English are an absolute requirement.

Additional qualifications: A strong interest in pursuing a career in biogeochemistry with focus on microbial silicate weathering and biomineralization (CO2 capturing). Good problem-solving ability, ability to structure his/her work adequately and use good judgement. 

Application: Please submit your application including:

1) CV
2) Personal letter describing your research interests, skills and motivation to apply for the position (Max 1 A4)
3) Transcript of records PhD degree
4) List of publications
5) Name and contact information of two references

Salary: Individual salary.
 
Starting date: 01-09-2021 or as otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Temporary position according to central collective agreement.

Scope of employment: 100 %.

For further information about the position please contact: Anna Neubeck, +46 73 731 48 84, anna.neubeck@geo.uu.se or Anna Rosling, +46 18 471 64 44, anna.rosling@ebc.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 9 June 2021 UFV-PA 2021/1914.

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? Find out more about what it´s like to work and live in Sweden

Type of employment Temporary position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment 01-09-2021 or as otherwise agreed
Salary Fixed salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Uppsala
County Uppsala län
Country Sweden
Reference number UFV-PA 2021/1914
Union representative
  • Seko Universitetsklubben, seko@uadm.uu.se
  • ST/TCO, tco@fackorg.uu.se
  • Saco-rådet, saco@uadm.uu.se
Published 13.May.2021
Last application date 09.Jun.2021 11:59 PM CEST

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