Job Offers
Postdoc Position in Environmental Microbiology
The Department of Environmental Microbiology at the Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA) at the University of Stuttgart is delighted to announce an open ERC-funded position for a Postdoctoral Researcher (1.5 years) who will work on:
“Identification of surfactant impacts on N- and C-cycling microbial key players in soils and freshwater sediments”
Glyphosate is the most widely applied herbicide on Earth, exhibits potential toxicity, and persists in the environment. Glyphosate is not used as single compound but as mixture, a formulation, with surfactants as the second most abundant ingredient. These surfactants are considered inert, and a critical knowledge gap exists regarding their impacts on microorganisms in the environment. Specifically, those capable of glyphosate degradation and on microbial key players that drive biogeochemical cycles and influence the fate of greenhouse gases.
The postdoc project will identify glyphosate-based surfactant impacts on microbial key players that are involved in the N- and C-cycle (e.g., nitrifiers or heterotrophic C-cyclers). In particular, the postdoc will assist PhD students in the execution of a large-scale microcosm experiment where both oxic and anoxic conditions will be tested with the various herbicides and surfactants. Following this, the postdoc will examine the data generated by the PhD student and conduct overview statistically analyses to determine the broader impacts of the surfactants on the N- and C-cycling microorganisms. Finally, the postdoc will organize and lead a field study, using the knowledge generated by the PhD student, to assess the impact of the glyphosate-based herbicide surfactants in situ. Molecular biological (i.e., 16S rRNA amplicon and omics sequencing and qPCR) and chemical (e.g., gas and surfactant measurements) data will be generated throughout these steps. These interdisciplinary studies will further reveal if surfactants from glyphosate application can have effects on glyphosate persistence in the environment and on greenhouse gas formation. The project is funded by the European Research Council (ERC).
We are offering one postdoctoral position (1.5 years) in an interdisciplinary, international, and dynamic team of environmental microbiologists and microbial ecologists. This position provides the opportunity for the candidate to be creative and innovative, and to work on a challenging topic that combines various fields within environmental sciences. Ideal candidates should have a PhD in microbiology with solid background in environmental microbiology and molecular biology. Furthermore, candidates should demonstrate strong leadership qualities and have field experience that would allow them to lead a field study. Applicants must have the ability to work both independently and in a team, have excellent management and communication skills, and should be highly motivated and committed to pursuing interdisciplinary research. Very good computer and English language skills are necessary. The candidates will have the opportunity to present their results in international journals and conferences.
The starting date is October 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. Employment (1.5 years, TV-L E 13, 100%) will be arranged by the administration of the University of Stuttgart. People with disabilities will be given preferential consideration if they are equally qualified. The University of Stuttgart strives to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply.
Applications including CV, motivation letter, summary of research and teaching experience, publication list, an overview about the methods used in the past, and contact information of academic references should be uploaded via JoinUs Universität Stuttgart application system before July 31st, 2025.
Questions about the announced position can be addressed to Dr. Katharine Thompson, Email: katharine.thompson@iswa.uni-stuttgart.de
PhD Student Position in Environmental Microbiology
The Department of Environmental Microbiology at the Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA) at the University of Stuttgart is delighted to announce an open position for a PhD student who will work on: "Carbon-Efficient River Restoration: Clogging and Microbial Pathways".
The transgression of planetary boundaries in freshwater systems, intensified by climate change, threatens irreversible environmental degradation. This project addresses the urgent need to restore river ecosystems as functional carbon sinks by focusing on microbial processes driving carbon cycling and methane (CH₄) emissions.
Current hydraulic engineering often treats microbial activity as a "black box," ignoring the key microbial pathways responsible for GHG dynamics. By integrating environmental microbiology with river restoration efforts such as riverbed restructuring, we aim to uncover how microbial communities respond to habitat improvement and how these responses influence CH₄ fluxes.
This interdisciplinary approach will quantify emissions and identify microbial mechanisms for CH₄ mitigation, establishing a scientific foundation for carbon- and climate-efficient river restoration.
Your Tasks- Participate in seasonal field campaigns at alpine river sites, including sampling of water and sediments for microbiological and hydrochemical analyses.
- Collect and process samples for nucleic acid extraction (DNA and RNA) from water and sediments.
- Conduct molecular analyses such as qPCR, 16S rRNA (gene) amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and transcriptomics.
- Perform enrichment and cultivation of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms.
- Design and implement microcosm experiments to investigate microbial processes relevant to carbon cycle in alpine rivers.
- Carry out hydrochemical analyses of microcosm experiments to support microbial and biogeochemical interpretations of results.
- Perform statistical and bioinformatic analysis of sequencing and environmental data using relevant tools and pipelines.
Ideal candidates should have a solid background in environmental microbiology and molecular ecology. Applicants must have the ability to work independently and in a team, have excellent management and communication skills and should be highly motivated and committed to pursuing interdisciplinary research. Very good computer and language skills (English) are necessary. The candidates will have the opportunity to present their results in international journals and on conferences.
We are offering a PhD student position (3 years) in an interdisciplinary, international, and dynamic team of environmental microbiologists and microbial ecologists. This provides the opportunity for the candidates to be creative and innovative, and to work on a challenging topic that combines various fields within environmental sciences.
The starting date is June/July 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. Employment (TV-L E 13, 75%) will be arranged by the administration of the University of Stuttgart. People with disabilities will be given preferential consideration if they are equally qualified. The University of Stuttgart strives to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply.
Applications including CV, motivation letter, an overview about the methods used in the past, and contact information of academic references should uploaded to the JoinUs portal before May 7th, 2025
Sara Kleindienst
Prof. Dr.Head of Department