Researcher in Marine Molecular Ecotoxicology
Researcher in Marine Molecular Ecotoxicology
(Temporary Employment)
Stockholm University - Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences
Stockholm, Sweden
Project description
The position will be associated with the project PROMISE (Improved Ecological Risk Assessment of contaminated sediments in Sweden), funded by the Swedish Environmental Agency. The aim is to improve our current methods for ecological risk assessment (ERA) of contaminated sediments.
The main objective is to conduct a site-specific ecological risk assessment of the Oskarshamn harbor, on the SE Baltic Sea. The harbor sediment contains high amounts of various industrial pollutants. The inner harbor has recently been remediated through dredging. The outer harbor, however, still poses a risk of spreading contaminants (dioxins and metals) to the Baltic Sea. In the project we are running laboratory studies in order to compare and evaluate which ecotoxicological endpoints are most relevant for conducting an ERA.
For this position we are looking for a researcher with experience in recent molecular metagenomic methods to assess the contaminants’ effects on the benthic microbial and meiofauna organisms using metabarcoding. The aim is to highlight how these ecological molecular tools can be used for ERA of contaminated sediments.
Main responsibilities
The position involves analysis of meiofauna and microbial data obtained from laboratory experiments with Oskarshamn sediment. The candidates should have previous strong experience in molecular ecology, metabarcoding, high throughput sequencing, bioinformatic, data analyses and writing.
Qualification requirements
Researchers are appointed primarily for purposes of research and must hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country.
Assessment criteria
In the appointment process, special attention will be given to research skills and scientific production, proficiency in molecular ecology, and bioinformatics. We also expect you to have good communication skills
