Symbiosis in The Ocean Scholarship at University of Technology, Australia

January 30, 2021

Designation/Position- Symbiosis in The Ocean Scholarship

University of Technology, Sydney invites application for Symbiosis in The Ocean Scholarship for eligible and interested candidates

About- Diverse populations of phytoplankton and bacteria fundamentally govern the productivity and stability of marine food webs and control oceanic chemical cycling processes that influence our climate. While the importance of these phytoplankton and bacterial populations are regularly considered in isolation, emerging evidence suggests that the lifestyles of these organisms are inherently entwined and that their relationships may in fact often occur within the framework of a symbiosis. However, our comprehension of the ecological interactions taking place between these important groups of marine microbes is severely undeveloped. Applications are open for Symbiosis in The Ocean Scholarship.

This project will involve the application of cutting-edge approaches spanning oceanography, microbial ecology, molecular biology and chemistry to generate critical new knowledge on the occurrence, mechanisms and implications of phytoplankton-bacteria symbioses in the sea.

Study level– PhD

Location- University of Technology, Sydney

Eligibility/Qualification–

Domestic students; or international students with a tuition fee waive.
Those that have completed a Bachelor of Science degree with first class honours or Master of Science by research, or an equivalent level of training.

Selection process

Experience in, and strong knowledge of, microbiology, molecular biology and biological oceanography
Strong written and verbal communication skills
High levels of motivation and enthusiasm.

Job/Position Description-

Value- $27,082 AUD per annum

Duration- 3 years

This project will be hosted within the Ocean Microbes Group (OMG), within the Climate Change Cluster (C3) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The OMG is one of 7 key research programs within C3 and has a broad focus on elucidating the ecological and biogeochemical function of microbes in marine environments. C3 is one of the UTS “research strength” institutes and currently hosts 90 researchers and a comprehensive suite of field and laboratory-based analytical equipment and research infrastructure that will be available to this project.