Open position: PhD scholarship in microbial ecology of seagrasses

We invite applications for a PhD student to work with Dr Ulisse Cardini and Prof Fabio Bulleri on “Nested microbial interactions in seagrass ecosystems”. Find the link below to submit your application!
About the organisations:
This PhD opportunity in marine microbial ecology is a collaborative project between the University of Pisa (UniPi) and the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), two prestigious institutions at the forefront of marine research.
The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN) – National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology, and Biotechnology is an internationally renowned research center headquartered in Napoli, Italy. The PhD candidate will be primarily based at the Genoa Marine Center (GMC), a territorial seat of SZN located in Genoa. GMC focuses on marine biodiversity research and conservation strategies, providing a vibrant international and interdisciplinary research environment in one of Italy’s key coastal cities for marine science.
The University of Pisa (UniPi) is one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious universities, founded in 1343. It consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in Italy and within the top 1–2% worldwide. As part of the Pisa University System, it collaborates with the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, offering strong academic and research support for PhD candidates.
About the project:
Growing evidence suggests that positive interactions between invertebrates and microbial communities are critical for seagrass ecosystem function and survival. However, these interactions have received little attention. This project will target three main objectives:
- Characterizing microbial community structure – Investigate the taxonomic composition and diversity of free-living and host-associated prokaryotic communities in the below-ground (Bgr) compartment of Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows using state-of-the-art amplicon sequencing.
- Assessing functional diversity – Analyze microbial community functions, particularly in sulfur cycling, methane production, and nitrogen metabolism, using metagenomics and metatranscriptomics.
- Identifying key drivers of change – Determine which microbial players influence ecosystem responses to warming, using mesocosm experiments combined with amplicon sequencing and metagenomics.
The project requires a motivated and independent researcher with a background in microbial ecology, laboratory techniques, and mesocosm or in situ experimentation.
The selected PhD candidate will be co-supervised by Dr. Ulisse Cardini (SZN) and Prof. Fabio Bulleri (UniPi) and will be part of the Marine Symbiomes Research Group. This work is conducted within the ENGAGE (https://www.marinesymbiomes.eu/engage) and BORIS (https://www.marinesymbiomes.eu/boris) projects, funded by the Italian Ministry of Research, providing opportunities to collaborate with national and international project partners and a broader research network.
Your qualifications:
You should have MSc degree in Biology, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences or equivalent. An interest in (geo)microbiology and microbial symbioses, and the willingness and capacity to interact in a multidisciplinary team, are essential. You should be fluent in spoken and written English and ideally have some prior experience in microbial ecology.
What we offer:
The call for application is for a fully funded three-year PhD scholarship. At the GMC-SZN as well as UniPi we strive for gender and diversity equality and we encourage and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Candidates will be evaluated based on their qualifications and ability to fulfill the responsibilities as outlined for this project.
How to apply:
To apply, please follow this link: https://dottorato.unipi.it/index.php/it/concorsi-d-ammissione-a-a-2024-2025/item/847.html and the guidelines therein.
The application deadline is June 20, 2024.