Kasper Urup Kjeldsen

The Department of Biology at Aarhus University is offering a two-year postdoctoral position in environmental microbial ecology within the Section for Microbiology. The project focuses on microorganisms associated with electrically conductive iron minerals in anoxic aquatic sediments, asking which bacterial and archaeal cells live on these minerals and how their physiology and ecology differ from those in the surrounding sediment. The successful researcher will investigate the phylogenetic identity and ecophysiology of these microorganisms using a combination of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), correlative imaging, DNA- and/or RNA-based omics, and stable isotope incubation experiments. The role of the minerals as a potential niche for electroactive microorganisms is a central theme, and the project gives room to shape methodological approaches and develop new ideas within the project framework. The postdoc will work in an interdisciplinary environment at the Department of Biology, which includes a large biological research and teaching community, an international microbiology section, well-equipped laboratories, skilled technical support, and access to advanced imaging facilities on the Aarhus University campus. Collaborators in Germany will contribute chemical characterization of the minerals, adding a cross-disciplinary dimension to the research. In addition to research, the role includes participation in supervision of BSc, MSc and PhD students and possibly some classroom teaching.