The research groups Evolving Metacommunities and Disease Evolutionary Ecology at the Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology of IGB invite applications for a 3-year PhD position in evolutionary ecology starting from 01.03.2024 (or soon thereafter). The PhD position is part of the Leibniz Collaborative Excellence project “Pollution in urban ponds, eco-evolutionary dynamics and ecosystem resilience” (POUNDER) funded by the Leibniz Association and will be located in Berlin-Friedrichshagen. The overall goal of the POUNDER project is to assess the importance of urban ponds as nature-based solutions to manage climate-related hydrologic risks, while promoting biodiversity and human well-being in cities. POUNDER is an inter- and transdisciplinary project and involves partners from Berlin, Stechlin, Potsdam, Hannover, and the University of Iowa, USA.
The aim of this PhD project is to quantify how the gut microbiome mediates the response of Daphnia to chemical pollution in urban ponds and whether such adaptation results in increased resilience of pond ecosystems. If you are passionate about evolutionary and microbial ecology and aspire to make a meaningful contribution in the context of urban ecology and sustainability, this is an exceptional opportunity to be part of a cutting-edge and interdisciplinary research project.
The research will combine field sampling of urban ponds in Berlin with laboratory experiments to assess if microbiome-mediated adaptation of Daphnia to urban pollution enhances ecosystem resilience, as well as data evaluation and statistical analysis. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the project, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact with scientists from different institutions and to establish a broad network within and outside of academia. IGB provides an attractive working environment and has excellent equipment, technical support, and state-of-the-art infrastructure to conduct the PhD project and provides a PhD programme for PhD candidates.
