Quick posting here for a PhD-track job opening in Eindhoven, Netherlands; “Fungal Growth on porous materials: the roles of the water supply”. The job description is below and contact information can be found on the website (no longer available).
Job description
Introduction
Fungi form a unique group of organisms. As holds for every organism, water is a key factor for growth. In the real world this water is not always abundantly present and its availability fluctuates in time. As many natural substrates are porous in nature, they can act as a buffer when a period of drought sets in, but can also cause delays in water supply to the fungus when a wet period starts. In our lab we study how a fungus, that is colonizing a porous material, is responding to the water dynamics in the underlying porous substrate.
Project aim and description
The aim of this project is to unravel the coupling between fungal growth, humidity, air flow, evaporation and the reservoir function of the porous substrate. Fungal growth will be studied under well-defined conditions with respect to air flow and humidity. The fungus will be visualized (on macroscopic and cell level) and modeled in connection with the water transport in the substrate. Our lab has NMR imaging facilities to visualize the water dynamics inside the porous substrate. The project is embedded in a joint program of the STW (Dutch Technology Foundation) dealing with fungal growth under influence of transient humidity dynamics.
Working location
The work will be performed in the group Transport in Permeable Media (TPM) at the Technical University of Eindhoven. It will be done in close cooperation with the Fungal Biodiversity Centre (CBS) of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science, which has an outstanding reputation in fungal biology, and TNO. Contacts with the microbiology group of the University of Utrecht are also foreseen.
Job requirements
- Do you have a MSc degree in physics or a related discipline?
- Do you have a background in biophysical processes?
- Do you have experience with microscopy tools and/or NMR imaging?
- Are you intrigued and challenged by microorganisms?
- Have you worked with advanced experimental techniques?
- Do you have good programming skills (Matlab, C, C++)?
If so, you are the right candidate for this position. Although practical skills in microbiology are an advantage, specific training in this area at the CBS will be offered within the framework of this project.
