The Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), in collaboration with Humboldt University of Berlin, is inviting applications for a 3-year Doctoral Scientist (PhD) position in Environmental Microbial Ecology within the DFG-funded project MicroResponS.
Project Scope & Microbial Ecology Focus
Microbial communities play a pivotal role in maintaining soil health, nutrient cycling, and plant resilience under environmental stress. This doctoral project investigates how root- and soil-associated microbial communities respond to water availability and environmental stress factors. Key research activities include:
- Applying high-throughput metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic pipelines to characterize microbial community structure and function.
- Evaluating microbial functional gene expression and metabolic responses during severe water deficit conditions.
- Investigating interactions between beneficial microbial consortia and host physiological resilience in agricultural landscapes.
Position Details & Benefits
- Duration: 36 months (3 years full-time pathway).
- Remuneration: TV-L E13 (65% doctoral scale) plus standard annual bonus.
- Funding Source: German Research Foundation (DFG).
- Host Institution: ZALF (Müncheberg, near Berlin) with enrollment at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany.
Required Candidate Profile
- Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Microbial Ecology, Microbiology, Environmental Sciences, Bioinformatics, or related disciplines.
- Strong background in molecular biology, high-throughput sequencing data analysis, and statistical programming (R or Python).
- High motivation for interdisciplinary research and excellent English language skills.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their application package (motivation letter, CV, university certificates, and reference contacts) referencing Ref. 23-2026 through the ZALF online recruitment portal.