Research Fellow: Drought Memory in Soil Microbes

Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research; Italia; On-site; EUR 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Università di Bologna is seeking a research fellow to explore mechanisms of drought memory in soil microbial communities. The project combines laboratory work and field samples to understand how prior drought exposure shapes microbial responses to water stress.

The fellow will use isotopic tracers and analyses across omics datasets to develop predictive indicators of soil microbial resilience to drought, contributing to broader ecological and biogeochemical insights.

Responsibilities

• Investigate mechanisms of drought memory in soil microbial communities.
• Conduct laboratory experiments and/or analyses of samples from experimental field sites.
• Perform biogeochemical measurements related to carbon and nutrient cycling.
• Use isotopic tracers to quantify microbial growth, respiration and carbon use.
• Integrate isotopic, functional and omics/ecological data to identify predictive indicators of microbial resilience to drought.

Job description

Università di Bologna is seeking a research fellow to explore mechanisms of drought memory in soil microbial communities. The project combines laboratory work and field samples to understand how prior drought exposure shapes microbial responses to water stress.

The fellow will use isotopic tracers and analyses across omics datasets to develop predictive indicators of soil microbial resilience to drought, contributing to broader ecological and biogeochemical insights.