Scientific project assistant predoctoral: active bacteria in the sea-surface microlayer (VERA)

Doctoral position with Dr. Thomas Reinthaler in the Marine Microbial Biogeochemistry group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, within the FWF-funded project “Variability of Ecologically Relevant Bacterioneuston (VERA)”, carried out with the University of Oldenburg. The project asks which bacteria are active in the sea-surface microlayer at the ocean–atmosphere boundary, how they vary over a seasonal cycle and along an Atlantic transect, and which traits let taxa such as SAR11 and Roseobacteraceae thrive there.

It combines single-cell activity measurements (CARD-FISH, BONCAT and Redox Sensor Green with flow cytometry and microscopy) with metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. Fieldwork includes monthly sampling with GEOMAR in Kiel during the first year and the RV METEOR cruise across the tropical and subtropical Atlantic in February/March 2028. The thesis is pursued in the Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution. The contract is 30 hours per week for 3.5 years from 1 February 2027.

Master's degree in marine biology, microbiology, biological oceanography, biogeochemistry or a closely related field by the start date; molecular or microbiological laboratory methods and fluorescence microscopy; bioinformatics skills (e.g. R, Linux command line); excellent English; willingness to travel to Kiel monthly in the first year and to join the 2028 research cruise.