PhD Mixotrophic Microalgae in Antarctic Carbon and Sulfur Cycles

Do you have a keen interest in marine microbial ecology? Are you interested in the dynamics of microalgal communities, and how they are affected by environmental change? Do you like to combine laboratory experiments with molecular methods and fieldwork in polar ecosystems? Apply for this vacancy and start your PhD research.

Come work at the largest university of the Netherlands!
The Antarctic seasonal sea-ice zone is rapidly changing, with consequences for the key primary producers: microalgae growing in sea-ice and water. While traditionally regarded as purely photoautotrophic, many of these microalgae likely also feed on other microbes or take up dissolved organic matter. Such a mixotrophic lifestyle might help them to survive the polar night and allow them an early start in the growing season, long before other algae receive sufficient light to pick up growth.

Additionally, microalgae contribute to the production of the trace gas dimethylsulfide (DMS) that has an impact on climate via cloud formation. The MACS project aims to understand the role of mixotrophic protists in Antarctic C- and S-cycles. Such mechanistic understanding will help predict how changing ice cover will affect microalgal growth and DMS-production in the future, and whether feedbacks might be expected in a changing climate.

What are you going to do?
As PhD student in the MACS project you will investigate how multiple environmental stressors affect the community composition, physiology, and gene expression of Antarctic microalgae, with a particular focus on their mixotrophic nutrition.

Your tasks and responsibilities are:

• Performance of laboratory experiments with cultured microalgae to assess their response to multiple environmental factors under controlled conditions;
• Participation in research expeditions to Rothera station, West Antarctic Peninsula, to assess microalgal species composition and perform field experiments to quantify their rates of feeding and photosynthesis;
• Contribute to experiments using stable isotope probing and proteomic techniques to quantify resource acquisition strategies of individual microalgal taxa both in the lab and field;
• Publication of the results in international scientific journals;
• Presentation of the results in the department, at meetings of the Netherlands Polar Program, and at (international) scientific conferences;
• Supervision of BSc and/or MSc students who wish to do an internship on Antarctic microalgae;
• Completion of a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years.

This PhD position is tightly linked to two postdoc positions within the MACS project, one with a focus on the role of Antarctic microalgae in the sulphur cycle and the other with a focus on proteomic and stable isotope probing techniques to quantify resource acquisition. The fieldwork and some of the experiments will be performed as a team, while the PhD student will also perform laboratory experiments on their own.

The PhD student will be supervised by a team of scientists from the University of Amsterdam (UvA), the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), University of Groningen (RUG) and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Training and courses during the PhD trajectory will be offered by UvA, and by the Graduate School for Production Ecology & Resource Conservation (PE&RC).

Your profile
We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate, who enjoys a combination of laboratory experiments and field studies. You have a keen interest in marine microalgal ecology and are eager to perform research in Antarctica. You are a well-organized team player, but also able to work independently.

What do we require?

• A MSc degree in marine biology, microbial ecology, aquatic ecology, or closely related discipline;
• Experience with culturing of bacteria or phytoplankton in the laboratory, physiological assays, and with field research in marine and/or freshwater ecosystems;
• A demonstrated ability to work with programming software such us R or Phyton is a plus;
• Strong communication and writing skills in English;
• Willingness and ability to perform extended fieldwork at Rothera station, Antarctica;
• Driving license B.

Techniques to be used in this research include, e.g. flow cytometry, (fluorescence) microscopy, PAM-fluorometry, DNA metabarcoding, isotope analysis and proteomics. We do not expect that candidates master all these techniques from the start, but consider previous experience with one or more of these techniques as an advantage.

What we offer you
A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is 1st of March 2025 or shortly after. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

For this position the University Job Classification profile “Promovendus” (PhD student) applies. Your salary will be €2,872 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3,670 in the final year, based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week. This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• a complete educational program for PhD students;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• help with registration at UvA- Housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.

Where you will work
The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is one of eight research institutes of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam. The research at IBED aims to unravel how ecosystems function in all their complexity, and how they change due to natural processes and human activities. At its core lies an integrated systems approach to study biodiversity, ecosystems and the environment. IBED adopts this systems approach to ecosystems, addressing abiotic (soil and water quality) and biotic factors (ecology and evolution of plants, animals, and microorganisms), and the interplay between those. The IBED vision includes research encompassing experimental and theoretical approaches at a wide variety of temporal and spatial scales, i.e. from molecules and microorganisms to patterns and processes occurring at the global scale. The University of Amsterdam has excellent high performance computing facilities. Furthermore, IBED has a dedicated computational support team with specialized knowledge of bioinformatics, (geo)database management and scientific programming. IBED also works with non-academic partners to deliver transdisciplinary science for society.

The current position will be based in the Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME) of IBED. The department of Freshwater & Marine Ecology aims to increase our understanding of the biodiversity and dynamics of freshwater and marine ecosystems from the level of molecules and genes to entire ecosystems.

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the button below. We accept applications until and including 5 January 2025.

Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a detailed CV [including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience];
• a letter of motivation;
• contact details of two references.

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered. A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure (for details: National knowledge security guidelines). A first round of online pre-interviews will be held on Thursday 16 January. We will invite potential candidates for these pre-interviews soon after the closing date. Selected candidates will be invited for a second round of in-person interviews at the University of Amsterdam on 11 February.

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• Dr. Susanne Wilken
• Email: s.wilken@uva.nl

38 hours per week

Science Park 904