New call!! 

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Post-doctoral position in Molecular Ecology and eDNA

 

Context: The Romero Lab is seeking a full-time postdoctoral researcher (12 + 12 months). The project will investigate the impacts of stream contaminations (pollution and sewage) on terrestrial food webs comprised mostly by predatory arthropods (i.e., spiders), using molecular (eDNA and iDNA) and ecological network techniques. We seek motivated researchers with experience in eDNA (and/or iDNA) analyses and, at some extent, ecological network analyses and bioinformatics. This postdoc position is associated to a funded FAPESP project led by Prof. Romero, so resource is available to cover all molecular analyses. The successful candidate will join a vibrant and motivated group of students and postdocs, and will have the opportunity to interact with other researchers from Brazil and abroad.    

 

Title: Anthropogenic impacts and their effects on biodiversity, complex networks and flux between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

 

Project: The transport and flux of resources and energy from donor ecosystems subsidize a huge amount and biomass of consumers from adjacent recipient ecosystems. These allochthonous resources (i.e., derived from different ecosystems) can be represented by nutrients and living organisms. The latter, e.g., the aquatic insects, actively reach adjacent terrestrial ecosystems and are consumed by terrestrial predators such as spiders, birds and bats. If pollutants and contaminants in water influence aquatic organisms, cascading effects through terrestrial environments are expected. Pollution can reduce the abundance and diversity of less resistant organisms, resulting in a lower contribution of allochthonous resources to terrestrial consumers; consequently, terrestrial consumers may decrease in abundance and diversity when close to polluted aquatic environments. Alternatively, or concurrently, pollutants can increase the dominance of more resistant aquatic organisms. In both scenarios, it is expected to detect significant changes in the ecological networks and energy flows between aquatic and terrestrial organisms, compared to preserved environments. In this project, it will be verified how anthropic impacts (pollutants in streams) influence the relationship between aquatic and terrestrial components through modern techniques, including consumers' gut content (eDNA and iDNA) molecular analyses for the construction of consumer-resource networks. A comparative approach between polluted and preserved environments will allow us to build a theoretical framework about the importance of preserving aquatic and riparian environments in maintaining biodiversity in a multi-ecosystem context.

 

Details:

• Workplace: Department of Animal Biology, State University of Campinas.

• Funding: São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).

• Contract period: 12 + 12 months.

• Salary: R$ 9047.40 per month.

• Starting date: expected in June 2024.

• Deadline for application: 01/05/2024.

 

Profile:

• PhD in ecology, conservation or environmental sciences.

• Highly dedicated, motivated and well-organized.

• Experienced in environmental DNA (eDNA) and/or ingested DNA (iDNA)

• Some experience (but not mandatory) in ecological network analyses and bioinformatics.

 

How to apply:

1. Send a comprehensive CV with details on your academic and research background (for Brazilians, the CV Lattes is acceptable).

2. Send a concise draft including research summary highlighting your key research achievements (2-3 pages).   

3. Send a compelling cover letter expressing your interest in the position and explaining how your qualifications align with the research focus.

4. Send contact details of at least two referees with whom you have worked recently.

5. Combine your four documents above into a single PDF document.

6. E-mail the compiled PDF document to Prof. Gustavo Romero at gqromero@unicamp.br