Friedrich Schiller University is a traditional university with a strong research profile rooted in the heart of Germany. As a university covering all disciplines, it offers a wide range of subjects. Its research is focused on the areas Light—Life—Liberty. It is closely networked with non-research institutions, research companies and renowned cultural institutions. With around 18,000 students and more than 8,600 employees, the university plays a major role in shaping Jena’s character as a cosmopolitan and future-oriented city.

The DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center 1127 “ChemBioSys – Chemical mediators in complex biosystems” is an ambitious research centre (http://www.chembiosys.de), located at Friedrich Schiller University and two non-university institutes in Jena, and at the University of Postdam. The CRC ChemBioSys aims at exploring fundamental regulatory processes in complex biosystems that affect our daily lives.

The Institute of Biodiversity / Aquatic Geomicrobiology Group at the Faculty of Biosciences seeks to fill
the position of a

Postdoctoral Researcher in Microbial Ecology (m/f/d)

commencing at the earliest possible date

Background

The project C04 of the CRC ChemBioSys focuses on specifically examining complex communities by using natural products and derivatives as modulators. In particular, the project aims to obtain in depth insights into interspecies communication of microbes involved in different parts of the Iron-cycle, using comparative metagenomic/-transcriptomic analyses and targeted metabolomics studies.

Your responsibilities:

• Developing challenging co-cultivation experiments and meta-transcriptomic/-genomic analyses
• Writing and publishing scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals
• Presenting results at national and international conferences
• Supervision of students and doctoral candidates in degree theses

Your profile:

• PhD degree (or equivalent) in the life or natural sciences
• Strong background in environmental microbiology
• Experience with cultivation and molecular microbiology methods is needed
• Ability to merge omic techniques and apply novel imaging processes
• Excellent english communication skills, both written and spoken
• An integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the dynamic ChemBioSys community
• Highly motivated and creative individuals with an interest to shape the research project
• Readiness and ability to work in the field

We offer:

• A postdoctoral researcher position with generous research funding
• Participation in a strongly interdisciplinary research project and diverse experimental and theoretical approaches, with several collaboration possibilities, combined with the support of the ChemBioSys platform
• A communicative atmosphere within an international scientific network of universities and research institutes providing top-level research facilities, equipment and infrastructure
• Individual qualification and development measures in the frame of the Jena Graduate Academy
• University health promotion including a wide range of University sports activities and a family-friendly working environment with a variety of offers for families
• Remuneration based on the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector of the Federal States (TV-L) at salary scale E13 — depending on the candidate’s personal qualifications—, including a special annual payment in accordance with the collective agreement.

Participating Institutions:

The position is limited until 30.06.2026. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week). The project is supervised by Prof. Dr. Kirsten Küsel and Dr. Carl-Eric Wegner; the place of work will be Jena – City of Science.

FSU Jena and CRC ChemBioSys seek to increase the number of women in those research areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourage women to apply. Candidates with severe disabilities will be given preference in the case of equal qualifications and suitability.

Are you eager to work for us? Please send us your complete and informative application (as one PDF file: Cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, Certificates, Reviews, etc) addressed to Prof. Dr. Kirsten Küsel and Dr. Carl-Eric Wegner stating the vacancy ID 282/2022 by 25.08.2022 to: