Eiko Kuramae

This postdoctoral project at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) focuses on how nitrogen moves through ecological systems and how stable-isotope tracing can be used to resolve the processes controlling nitrogen transformation, transfer, retention and loss. The researcher will develop and apply 15N-based approaches together with Orbitrap isotopologue and isotopomer analyses to build mechanistic understanding of nitrogen cycling across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The work is interdisciplinary and spans plants, soils, microorganisms, animals, sediments and aquatic systems. The successful candidate will help advance stable-isotope methods for ecological nitrogen research, with projects that may include nitrogen transfer through food webs, microbial interaction networks involved in nitrogen transformations, zoogeochemistry and nutrient cycling mediated by soil animals, plant nitrogen acquisition, and nitrogen transformations and losses in environmental systems. The position is based at NIOO-KNAW in Wageningen and is intended to strengthen the institute’s long-term expertise in isotope-based ecological research. The role includes developing experimental and analytical workflows, contributing to standard protocols and quality control, and supporting isotope research across multiple departments and disciplines. NIOO offers a research environment with facilities for ecological experimentation, stable-isotope research and analytical development. In addition to conducting research, the postdoctoral researcher will help train and support colleagues in isotope methods and data analysis, contribute to reproducible pipelines, and participate in publications, presentations and interdisciplinary collaboration.