2 PhD positions in Organic Geochemistry/Microbial Ecology at Utrecht University

Within the framework of the NWO Partnership Sand Filtration call, the Department of Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, is looking for highly motivated candidates to fill two PhD positions to unravel 'the role of biological activity in the performance of slow sand filters for drinking water treatment'.

In this Partnership programme, the Dutch Research Council (NWO), domain Applied and Engineering Sciences, finances together with the drinking water companies Vitens and Dunea insightful and innovative research in the application of slow and fast sand filters in drinking water treatment. This project at Utrecht University aims at elucidate the internal carbon cycling, the functioning of food webs, and the role of bioturbation in slow sand filters. The goal of the project is to relate detailed insight in the biological activity to the performance of slow sand filters in removing pathogenic microorganisms and detrital organic matter. By this, we aim to optimise the traditional operation of slow sand filters and to open avenues for innovative concepts in using sand filters

The PhD candidates will apply state-of-the-art methods and approaches which are used to investigate the microbial ecology and carbon flows in aquatic, sedimentary environments. This will include stable isotope labelling in combination with compound-specific isotope analysis of biomarkers and the application of nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nano-SIMS). Characterization of the food web functioning will be combined with experiments on the removal efficiency of slow sand filters regarding pathogenic microorganisms and organic matter.

The project will be performed in collaboration with the Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems and the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ). The project leader will be Dr. Thilo Behrends at Utrecht University. As part of their personal PhD training programmes, the candidates are expected to assist in the teaching programmes of the Department of Earth Sciences for a limited amount of time (~10%).

Further details:
2 PhD positions in Organic Geochemistry/Microbial Ecology at Utrecht University