Metamenu

Open positions

  • Postdoctoral position in the Group of Dagmar Woebken

    EXPLORING SURVIVAL AND RESUSCITATION MECHANISMS OF DESERT SOIL BACTERIA

    The Woebken Group is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral position.

    Background:

    Microorganisms in drylands have to endure long periods of drought, interrupted by unpredictable and very short periods of rain. Dormancy - an inactive state or a state of reduced metabolic activity - has long been regarded as a prerequisite for desert soil microorganisms to survive such drought periods. However, as dormancy cannot be sustained indefinitely, phases of resuscitation must also play an important role for long-term survival of desert soil microorganisms and thus for maintaining microbial diversity in one of the harshest environments on the planet.

     

    Project:

    In this project, we are investigating the desiccation survival mechanisms of soil microorganisms and the molecular mechanisms of resuscitation. This will be achieved by applying genome-resolved metatranscriptomics of desert soil microbial communities, building upon knowledge gained by our recent metagenomic investigation of biological soil crusts from the Negev Desert, Israel. In situ community transcription patterns will be combined with single-cell activity assays, employing a recently developed heavy water-NanoSIMS assay to detect anabolically active cells, and process measurements.

     

    Requirements:

    Candidates should had a PhD degree in microbiology or biological sciences. A background in microbial ecology (ideally soil microbial ecology) with experimental or fieldwork experience is necessary. A comprehensive understanding of microbial physiology, along with generating and interpreting meta-genomic or metatranscriptomic data is mandatory. We expect the candidate to be creative and innovative with her/his/their research ideas. Proficiency in spoken and written English is mandatory. Good scientific writing and verbal communication skills are necessary. The ability to work and communication in a team is essential. 
     

    For additional details, please see the pdf. 

     

    Please enclose the following documents to your application:

    • Letter of motivation (1-2 pages)
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • University certificate(s), including grades
    • Two letters of recommendation

    Please send your application as a pdf to dagmar.woebken@univie.ac.at with the subject "Postdoc-position Survival and Resuscitation". 

  • PhD Student Positions in the Group of Dagmar Woebken

    Exploring survival and resuscitation mechanisms of desert soil bacteria

    The Woebken Group is accepting applications for PhD student positions.

    Background:

    Microorganisms in drylands have to endure long periods of drought, interrupted by unpredictable and very short periods of rain. Dormancy - an inactive state or a state of reduced metabolic activity - has long been regarded as a prerequisite for desert soil microorganisms to survive such drought periods. However, as dormancy cannot be sustained indefinitely, phases of resuscitation must also play an important role for long-term survival of desert soil microorganisms and thus for maintaining microbial diversity in one of the harshest environments on the planet.

     

    Project:

    In this project, we are investigating the desiccation survival mechanisms of soil microorganisms and the molecular mechanisms of resuscitation. This will be achieved by applying genome-resolved metatranscriptomics of desert soil microbial communities, building upon knowledge gained by our recent metagenomic investigation of biological soil crusts from the Negev Desert, Israel. In situ community transcription patterns will be combined with single-cell activity assays, employing a recently developed heavy water-NanoSIMS assay to detect anabolically active cells, and process measurements.

     

    Requirements:

    Candidates should had a MSc degree in microbiology, molecular biology or a related biological discipline, or a degree in ecology with a focus on microbial ecology. The applicant should be highly motivated with a strong interest in microbial ecology and microbial survival. More specifically, the applicant should have practical experience in molecular biology, microbial community analyses (e.g. via 16S rRNA genes; experience in genome/-omics analysis will be highly favored), bioinformatic skills and a solid knowledge of statistical data analysis is preferred, but not mandatory. Proficiency in spoken and written English is mandatory. The ability to work and communication in a team is essential. 
     

    For additional details, please see the pdf. 

     

    Please enclose the following documents to your application:

    • Letter of motivation (1-2 pages)
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • University certificate(s), including grades
    • Two letters of recommendation

    Please send your application as a pdf to dagmar.woebken@univie.ac.at with the subject "PhD-position Survival and Resuscitation". 

  • Master's student position in the group of Alexander Loy

    Studying secondary metabolites of Antarctic Streptomycetes in stressed conditions

    One goal of the Loy group is to explore biosynthetic potential of Antarctic soil bacteria, which is a project embedded in the MetaBac platform of the University of Vienna (https://metabac.univie.ac.at/). Based pn our established collection of Antarctic isolates, the thesis will focus on taxonomically novel Streptomyces species that are expected to harbour novel biosynthetic gene clusters and pathways. Many of these biosynthetic gene clusters are usually not expressed in laboratory conditions unless these microorganisms experience significant stress. 

    We are looking for an enthusiastic Master’s student to join our team. Research task will be to cultivate several Streptomyces strains in different stress conditions and extract secondary metabolites that these microorganisms produce. Stressors will be of physical, chemical and biological nature; such as temperature, pH and salinity/osmotic shocks, DMSO/ethanol shock or co-cultivation with other bacterial partners in microbial consortia. Further tasks include extraction of secondary metabolites and their immediate testing for potential antimicrobial activity against bacteria and yeasts, which will be complemented by metabolomic analyses to identify any novel metabolites. Furthermore, we will associate obtained chemical information with genomic and transcriptomic data to find biosynthetic gene clusters responsible for such bioactivities. Results of this Master thesis will contribute to a publication on biosynthetic potential of Antarctic microbiota. 

    Your research questions would be:

    1. Which Streptomyces isolates represent new species?
    2. Which Streptomyces isolates harbour the highest biosynthetic potential for novel secondary metabolites?
    3. Are any novel secondary metabolites produced in stress conditions?

    If you are interested, please send a CV and letter of motivation to Stanislava Kralova (stanislava.kralova@univie.ac.at) or Alexander Loy (alexander.loy@univie.ac.at). The position is available at the earliest convenience at the Division of Microbial Ecology of the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CMESS). 

  • Master's Student in the group of Martin Polz

    We are looking for a highly motivated master's student interested in the co-evolutionary interactions of bacteria and their viruses. The master thesis project is taking place in the research group of Prof. Martin Polz at the Department of Microbial Ecology (DoME) at the University of Vienna. The duration of the project is for six-months.

    Background:
    Due to the immense evolutionary pressure imposed by phages, bacteria have evolved many mechanisms to evade phage infection and killing, for example, well-known CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification systems. In turn, bacteriophages have developed various strategies to bypass immunity for successful infection. Yet, the diversity of phage evasion strategies and mechanisms of their action remain largely unknown. Therefore, it is essential to study phage-host interactions to understand the ecological dynamics of microbes and for potential application in phage therapy.

    Project:
    The master thesis project will study candidate counter-defense proteins of Vibrio phages which act as a counterplay against defense mechanisms of marine Vibrio bacteria. The project will include molecular cloning of the bacterial defense systems and viral counter-defense proteins in a laboratory strain of Vibrio, as well as bioinformatics and viral infection experiments.

    Requirements:
    Candidates should hold a BSc degree in Biology (particular emphasis in microbiology, microbial ecology, molecular biology, or similar). The applicant should have previous laboratory experience, particularly in the fields of microbiology and molecular biology. We are looking for a master's student who is highly motivated, with good communication skills, and ability to work in a large department with numerous labs. Our lab consists mainly of foreign scientists; therefore, candidates should have excellent English writing and oral communication skills.

    Please enclose the following documents to your application:
    • Letter of intent
    • Curriculum Vitae
    Please send it to: martin.f.polz@univie.ac.at

  • Postdoctoral fellowship in marine symbioses - Petersen group

    The Petersen group is currently looking for a postdoctoral fellow for a 28-month position starting early 2023. See the pdf for more details on the position and how to apply

  • Apply for a personal PhD or postdoc stipend to join DOME

    We strongly encourage excellent candidates to look for external funding opportunities as shown but not limited to the options below. A personal stipend gives you independence by allocating your own research budget and travel funds. We will assist you to develop a joint research project and to apply for your own grant.

    Please get in touch with the DOME group leader whose team you want join with a brief project outline for further discussion, indicate in your application for which stipends you would be eligible to apply and what would be the next deadline of application (check out the call informations of the individual stipend options).

    Marie-Skłodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Vienna

    List of other selected PhD and Postdoc stipends (please check out other fellowship opportunities e.g. from your home country)