PhD Opportunity: Environmental Control of Green Water Events in Mediterranean Lagoons under Climate Change (microalgae/virus) Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography in France

This PhD opportunity at the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille, France, focuses on the environmental control of green water events in Mediterranean lagoons under climate change, with a particular emphasis on microalgae and virus interactions. The project, VIROPICO-DOC, is funded through Horizon Europe and the SCHADOC Doctoral Program at Aix-Marseille Université, and offers a 36-month fully funded doctoral fellowship. The research will be conducted in collaboration with partner institutions including BIAM (CNRS/CEA), GIPREB (Étang de Berre environmental management authority), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado, USA, with a 3-month international secondment at NREL.

Mediterranean coastal lagoons are highly vulnerable to climate change, experiencing rapid fluctuations in temperature, salinity, irradiance, and nutrient availability. These conditions lead to harmful 'green water events' caused by dense blooms of the microalga Picochlorum, which can disrupt ecosystem functioning and threaten aquaculture. The VIROPICO-DOC project aims to elucidate how environmental variability, algal physiology, and viral infections jointly regulate Picochlorum bloom dynamics, especially in the Étang de Berre lagoon. The research integrates laboratory experiments, viral ecology, long-term field monitoring, and environmental genomics to establish predictive frameworks for bloom initiation and collapse under future climate scenarios.

The selected PhD candidate will investigate physiological responses of diverse Picochlorum strains across gradients of temperature, salinity, and irradiance, environmental control of giant virus (Picochlorovirus) infection dynamics, and host–virus–environment interactions driving bloom development, persistence, and collapse. The project includes seasonal in situ population dynamics through monthly field campaigns and molecular monitoring using flow cytometry, qPCR, metagenomics, bioinformatics, and functional genomics approaches during international training at NREL.

Applicants must comply with the SCHADOC / Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) international mobility rule, which requires that candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately prior to recruitment. Candidates should hold (or be close to obtaining) a Master’s degree in marine biology, microbiology, virology, environmental sciences, molecular biology, bioinformatics, or microalgal biotechnology. Essential qualities include a strong interest in marine microbial ecology, virus–host interactions, climate change biology, and experimental biology, as well as excellent communication and scientific writing skills in English. Experience in microalgal culture, molecular biology (DNA/RNA extraction, qPCR), virology, flow cytometry, omics approaches, bioinformatics, and field sampling is highly desirable. Motivation for interdisciplinary, international, and collaborative research is essential.

Applications must be submitted online via the SCHADOC portal before 10 May 2026. Required documents include a CV, cover letter, academic transcripts, contact details for referees, draft career development plan, and recommendation letters. For more information about the project and fellowship conditions, visit project page and fellowship conditions. The main supervisor is Guillaume Blanc ([email protected]), and the research will be based at MIO, Marseille, France.

This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in marine microbial ecology and climate change biology, with international collaboration and training. The successful candidate will join a vibrant research environment and benefit from interdisciplinary expertise and resources.