Chikae Tatsumi
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PhD Studentship in Microbial and Ecosystem Ecology at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Fully funded positions are available for PhD students and research interns.
Deadline
Nov 15, 2026
Country
Japan
University
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

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About this position
The Microbial and Ecosystem Ecology Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Japan, is seeking motivated PhD students and research interns for fully funded positions.
The unit studies how environmental factors such as vegetation type, land-management practices, and climate change shape terrestrial microbial communities. Research interests include microorganisms that form symbiotic associations with plants, soil organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling, carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental pathogens.
Current project areas include: (1) how the unique soil chemistry and dispersal limitations of Japan’s southern islands influence mycorrhizal communities and their activities using soil biogeochemical analyses, microbial community analysis, and metatranscriptomics; (2) microbial functions within the living bark of trees affected by widespread oak disease using metatranscriptomic and metabolomic analyses; and (3) for research interns only, bioinformatic and statistical analysis of microbial community and metatranscriptomic data from urban soils to support better urban green-space management.
Research topics are flexible as long as they fit the unit’s broader interests in microbial ecology, ecosystem ecology, soil microbiology, bioinformatics, and biogeochemistry. The post emphasizes hands-on and computational approaches, including fieldwork, greenhouse experiments, molecular techniques, and data analysis.
Application links are provided separately for PhD and internship applicants. The PhD deadline is November 15, and the internship deadline is October 15.
Funding details
Fully funded positions are available for PhD students and research interns.
What's required
Motivated PhD students and research interns are sought. Research topics should align with the unit’s interests in microbial and ecosystem ecology. For the listed projects, relevant skills include fieldwork, greenhouse experiments, soil biogeochemical analyses, microbial community analysis, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics, and statistical analysis.
How to apply
Use the program-specific application links provided in the post: one link for PhD applicants and one link for internship applicants. Check the linked pages for the full application instructions and submit before the relevant deadline.
More information can be found here
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