Post doctoral fellow in Biology - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Biology has 210 employees of which 80 are PhD students. 400 undergraduate students are taking courses here every year.

Research area
Global stocks of phosphorous (P) are limited and more P efficient agricultural practices are necessary to secure food production in the future. A large part of the phosphorous added to agricultural land is bound to iron oxides in the soil and is poorly available for crop plants. Plants in naturally low P soils have established symbiotic relationships with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to obtain sufficient P from the soil. These fungi are often missing or in low abundance in fertilized agricultural systems. In this project the aim is to improve conditions for AMF and estimate the uptake of poorly soluble P in different agricultural systems. Uptake of P by perennial cereals (e.g. Kernza) with large root systems will be compared with annual wheat. Systems with and without N fixing cover crops will be compared. We will study P poor systems in the tropics (Kenya) as well as more P rich systems in Italy and Sweden.

Duties
We are looking for a person to study release of P from poorly soluble sources in different agricultural systems. Iron oxides (e.g. goethite) will be synthesized in the laboratory, saturated with P and incubated in the soil. Chemical analysis of this material will be done after different incubations periods in the soil. Quantification of fungal biomass, elemental change of mineral surfaces will be done with various chemical methods including HPLC and XPS. The work includes travel and field work in Italy, Kenya and various places in Sweden.

The work will also include cultivation of fungal isolates in the laboratory. In these experiments, identification and quantification of fungal metabolites will be performed using various chemical methods (e.g. HPLC).

Requirements

• A PhD in Biology, soil science or similar
• Documented experiences in laboratory work (e.g. work with sterile cultures, and chemical analysis, e.g. HPLC
• Documented oral and written skills in fluent English

Meriting

• Experienced in measuring phosphorous uptake in plants or fungi
• Experiences in working with iron oxides and interactions between iron and phosphorus
• Experienced in field work

Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant have a PhD, within the subject of the position, completed no more than three years before the last date for applications. The most important criterion for evaluating the applicants will be scientific skill. Emphasis will also be on the extent to which the applicant can contribute to the general work on the Formas research Project.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset. We kindly decline all sales and marketing contacts.