Doctoral fellow - Department of Environment

Karlstad University; Gent; Sur place; EUR 60 000 - 80 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A prestigious university in Belgium seeks a Doctoral fellow in the Department of Environment to research biological degradation of microplastics in soil. The position offers a full-time opportunity to work on a vital environmental issue in a diverse and international research setting, with a focus on developing new methodologies and understanding microbial interactions. Applicants should have a Master's degree in relevant fields and a strong interest in multidisciplinary research.

Prestations

36 days of holiday leave

Bicycle allowance

Access to sports facilities

Qualifications

• Good knowledge of soil science is an asset.
• Willingness to participate in teaching and supervision activities.
• Willingness to perform short study stays abroad if required.

Responsabilités

• Conduct research on biological degradation of microplastics in soil.
• Develop methodologies for the extraction and analysis of microplastics.
• Monitor soil microbial consortia responsible for microplastic degradation.

Connaissances

Strong interest in multidisciplinary research

Good command of spoken and written English

Formation

MSc in Bioscience engineering

MSc in biochemistry and biotechnology

Description du poste

Doctoral fellow - Department of Environment

Ghent University is one of the top 100 universities in the Dutch language area, with more than 44,000 students and 15,000 staff members.

Department LA20 - Department of Environment

Degree Bioscience engineering, Biochemistry and biotechnology

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.

With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

We have an open position for a PhD in a multidisciplinary project funded by the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), on:
“Biological degradation of fossil fuel based microplastics in soil”

Description
One of the most prominent examples of pervasive pollution in the ‘Anthropocene’ era is that of the presence of plastics in the environment. Particularly the smallest fragments with a size below 5 mm, the so called microplastics (MP) are ubiquitous. As Earth’s largest plastics reservoir, soils form the bridge for MP transfer to other ecosystem compartments (to atmosphere by wind erosion – to ground and surface water by leaching and run‑off/erosion; to the terrestrial food chain through uptake by soil organisms and by plants). Fundamental knowledge on MP behaviour in soils is urgently needed for risk analysis and mitigation. In this project we are developing dedicated methodologies for the extraction and analysis of MP from soils, using a combination of original methods from soil organic matter research and novel techniques for microscopic visualization. We are also investigating the redistribution of MP in the soil matrix during the process of aggregate formation and aggregate destruction, and assess the risk of MP transfer from soil to groundwater, which is of great concern with respect to safeguarding drinkwater quality. Finally, we started experiments to study the degradation of fossil fuel based MP in soil through biological degradation experiments.

The specific topic of this PhD will be on the biological degradation of MP in the soil environment. At least a minimum MP degradation potential at organismal and enzymatic level has been proven to exist in different environments, including in soils (e.g. Ru et al. 2020), but there is practically no information on plastics degradation in realistic soil environments. We hypothesize that MP degradation in real soil can be effectively monitored using innovative combinations of labelling techniques, experimental set‑ups and detection methods. We will effectively monitor degradation of known types and quantities of MP added to soils using custom made 13C labelled polymer MP, thus providing standards for monitoring MP backbone degradation in realistic soil environments. We will also track the soil microbial consortia responsible for the MP degradation using state‑of‑the‑art techniques.

A timely research topic of great importance for soil and human health, sustainable agriculture and ecosystem functioning. More detailed information on the project will be made available later in the selection process.
This PhD project, financed by the FWO, will be carried out by a unique consortium from UGent, consisting of following research groups:

• Research Group Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management, Department Environment, FBE-UGent (prof. Stefaan De Neve, prof. Steven Sleutel): labelling of MP, dynamics of MP in soils (location in the soil matrix, transport), interactions between MP and soil microfauna, degradation of soil MP
• Micro2Soil Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, FW-UGent (prof. Caroline De Tender): microbial degradation of MP in soils, molecular analysis of microbial community composition
• The NanoBioTechnology (NBT) research group, Department of Biotechnology, FBE-UGent (prof. Andre Skirtach): microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, magnetic labelling of MP
  Your research will be carried out in close collaboration with two other PhD students active in this field.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• MSc in Bioscience engineering, MSc in biochemistry and biotechnology or related study field
• Strong interest in multidisciplinary research in the broad field of microplastic pollution in soils. Good knowledge of soil science is an asset
• Good command of spoken and written English
• Willingness to participate in teaching and supervision activities: assistance with practicals (max. 5% of your time), tutoring of students for bachelor project and/or Master thesis
• Willingness to perform short study stays abroad if so required for the research

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• A unique and exciting research topic, in a stimulating, highly diverse and highly international research environment.
• A full‑time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total of 48 months.
• Personal development through courses offered by the UGent Doctoral schools and other national and international courses.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales.
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits including 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full‑time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers, use of UGent sports facilities, ... Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

How to apply

Send your application (see below) to [e-mail] with the heading ‘Application FWO_Soil MP_Last name_First name' before 11 November 2025. Provide the following documents as attachments:

• Your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file)
• A transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession): students that will finish in September ’24 are also welcome to apply
• If you have a foreign diploma provide evidence of English language proficiency

Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position. Candidates found fit based on CV screening will be invited for an interview upon invitation. Include your email address and telephone number to allow us to get in contact.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Stefaan De Neve, [e-mail] , [phone].

Job details

Title

Doctoral fellow - Department of Environment

Published

2025-10-17

2025-11-11 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)
2025-11-11 23:59 (CET)

Please send your application to [e-mail]

Closing on: 2025-11-04 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2025-12-16 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2025-11-04 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2025-11-27 (Europe/Brussels)