Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Biology programme. The position is available from February 2027 or later.
Title:
Anaerobic growth of aerobic methane-oxidising bacteria
Research area and project description:
Most methane-oxidising bacteria are typically considered to be aerobic bacteria, requiring oxygen for energy conservation and growth. However, investigations of aquatic sediment environments have revealed the presence and activity of methane-oxidising in oxygen-free aquatic sediment environments. This project aims to determine how methanotrophic bacteria survive and possibly grow in these environments. The hypothesis is that extracellular electron transport (EET) capabilities allow these bacteria to use a wider range of electron acceptors than first assumed, including metal oxide minerals. There is genomic evidence of such EET capabilities in methane-oxidising bacteria, but this remains mostly untested. This project will apply methods including bioelectrochemical systems, chemical sensors, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, stable-isotope labeling, radiolabeling, and NanoSIMS to address these questions in freshwater and marine sediment.
There are two PhD positions as part of this project. Applicants can indicate which position interests them the most in their application, but this isn’t necessary at this stage.
The first student will work with pure cultures of methanotrophic bacteria and methane-oxidising enrichments. Bioelectrochemical systems, chemical sensors, transcriptomics, and isotope labeling may be used. A Baltic research cruise to collect sediment will be a part of this work.
The second student will establish freshwater enrichments, including sediment enrichments of methane-oxidising bacteria, in order to better understand survival of methane-oxidising bacteria in anoxic sediment environments. Methods including metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, stable-isotope labeling and NanoSIMS will be used in this part of the project.
These PhD students will join a relatively new team working on methanotrophic bacteria at the Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, led by Associate Prof. Ian P.G. Marshall. The project is financed by a Carlsberg Semper Ardens Accelerate grant (https://www.carlsbergfondet.dk/en/what-we-have-funded/cf25-1844/).
For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. When - as here - you apply for a specific project, please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found.
Qualifications and specific competences:
We are looking for applicants with a master’s degree in biology, microbiology, geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, environmental engineering, biotechnology, or related field. Applicants are asked to highlight any experience with anaerobic microbial cultivation, analytical chemistry, molecular microbial ecology, microscopy, and bioinformatics in their application.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Ny Munkegade 114-116, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark, Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information for this project are invited to contact:
Ian Marshall, ianpgm@bio.au.dk or Niculina Musat, niculina.musat@bio.au.dk
How to apply:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying.
When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 September 2026)
Please note:
At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.
