CARBOPHAGE : Interactions between phages and their bacterial hosts in soils from wetlands – Consequences on soil organic matter dynamics

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CARBOPHAGE : Interactions between phages and their bacterial hosts in soils from wetlands – Consequences on soil organic matter dynamics

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Offer DescriptionCall for expression of interest descriptionThe is a highly prestigious renownedEU-funded scheme. It offers talented scientistsa unique chance to set up 2-year research and training projectswith the support of a supervising team. Besidesprovidingan attractivegrant, it representsa major opportunity to boost the career of promising researchers.Research laboratories in Brittany are thus looking for excellent postdoctoral researchers with an international profile to write a persuasive proposal to apply for a Marie S. Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship grant in 2024 (deadline of the EU call set on 11 September 2024).The topic and research team presented below have been identifiedin this regard.Main Research Field

• Environment and Geosciences (ENV)

Research sub-field(s)Environmental MicrobiologyKeywordsvirus, soil microbiology, biotic interactions, biogeochemical cycles, metagenomicsResearch project descriptionPhages, viruses infecting bacteria, are the most abundant biological entities on earth, playing a key role in shaping the bacterial communities and consequently influencing nutrient cycling. While their ecology and functional roles have been widely studied in aquatic systems, phage-bacteria interactions in soils and their resulting significance to microbial-driven processes remain poorly understood. Phages develop different life cycles (lysogenic and lytic) that impact bacterial populations and either directly or indirectly the key functions they sustain. Soil phages may thus have the potential to dictate the magnitude and direction of CO2 emissions, a greenhouse gas (GHG), by attacking bacteria involved in the carbon cycle. However, very limited information about phage-bacteria interactions in soils is available and soil viral ecology is still poorly understood. CARBOPHAGE will be focused on soils from wetlands that are broadly considered one of earth’s most efficient ecosystems for sequestering and storing C and reducing the concentration of atmospheric CO2. Phages have been shown to be highly abundant in these soils, one can thus expect that they play a significant role in controlling C cycle by impacting soil organic matter (SOM) stabilisation. Soils from wetlands are subject to changes in their hydrological status which should impact phage-bacteria interactions by modifying encounter rates, leading to changes in SOM dynamics and C-gases emissions. The objective of the present project is thus to decipher phage-bacteria interactions in soils and their consequences on SOM dynamics by focusing on wetlands in which organic C cycling is deeply driven by flooding events and dry-wet cycles. Our project aims at testing two main hypotheses: (1) phage-bacteria interactions in soils from wetlands rely on changes in soil moisture and (2) Phage-bacteria interactions in soil impact SOM turnover and GHG emissions. To address these hypotheses, the PHABAWET project will investigate soil moisture effects on the cryptic actors (i.e. phylogenetic and functional diversities of bacteria and phages), and their interactions, of SOM dynamics (source, composition, quantity) and the consequences on microbial mineralisation processes and C-gases emissions.ReferencesWilliamson, K. E. et al. Viruses in Soil Ecosystems: An Unknown quantity within an unexplored territory. Annu. Rev. Virol. 4, 201-219 (2017).Bonetti, G. et al. Implication of viral Infections for greenhouse gas dynamics in freshwater wetlands: challenges and perspectives. Front. Microbiol. 10, (2019).Bernard, P. et al. The soil water content as a driver of bacteriophage and bacteria interactions – Consequences on soil organic carbon dynamic. in ISME 22 (2022).Supervisor(s)The Postdoctoral Fellow will be supervised by Cécile Monard ( ). She is a microbiology researcher specialized in soil ecology. Her work is mainly focused on understanding the role of microbial interactions in soil functioning. She is mostly known for her work on microbial degradation of soil organic matter and its consequences for biogeochemical cycles.Selection of publications:S. Mauger, C. Monard, C. Thion, P. Vandenkoornhuyse. 2022. Contribution of single-cell omics to microbial ecology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 37(1): 67-78E. Hellequin, F. Binet, O. Klarzynski, S. Hallin, J. Juhanson, V. Daburon, C. Monard. 2021. Shaping of soil microbial communities by plants does not translate into specific legacy effects on organic carbon mineralization. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 163 (2021) 108449K. Hoeffner, M. Santonja, D. Cluzeau, C. Monard. 2019. Epi-anecic rather than strict-anecic earthworms enhance soil enzymatic activities. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 132: 93-100.Department/ResearchECOBIO ‘Ecosystem, Biodiversity, Evolution’, is a multidisciplinary research unit organized in 4 teams. It hosts five technical platforms that gather all the standard items (equipments, academic knowledge, networks) required for research in soil sciences, molecular biology and soil microbial ecology. The ECOBIO laboratory, through its scientific staff, shares many others collaborations in Europe and abroad worldwide and has experiences and success in MSCA postdoctoral fellowship applications.LocationCampus de Beaulieu, Rennes, FranceRequirementsResearch Field Environmental science » Ecology Education Level PhD or equivalentSkills/Qualifications– PhD degree in soil sciences or microbial/viral ecology– Molecular biology– Soil microcosms experiments– Field work– Microbial/phage culture– Experience in the analyses of metabarcoding data– Good knowledge in statistics– Autonomous scientific research work and ability to work in a teamSpecific Requirements– English level B2 to C1, be able to write scientific articles– Driving licenseLanguages ENGLISH Level ExcellentResearch Field Environmental science » Ecology Years of Research Experience NoneAdditional InformationEligibility criteriaAcademic qualification: By 11 September 2024, applicants must be in possession of a doctoral degree, defined as a successfully defended doctoral thesis, even if the doctoral degree has yet to be awarded.Research experience: Applicants must have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date applicants were in possession of a doctoral degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks (e.g. due to parental leave), will not be taken into account.Nationality &Mobility rules: Applicants can be of any nationality but must not have resided more than 12 months in France in the 36 months immediately prior to the MSCA-PF call deadline on 11 September 2024.Selection processWe encourage all motivated and eligible postdoctoral researchers to send their expressions of interest through the EU Survey application form ( ), before 5th of May 2024. Your application shall include:

• a CV specifying: (i) the exact datesfor each position and its location(country) and (ii) a list of publications;

• acover letter including a research outline (up to 2 pages) identifying the research synergies with the project supervisor(s) andproposed research topics described above.

Estimated timetableDeadline forsending an expression of interest5th May 2024Selection of the most promising application(s)May – June 2024Writing the MSCA-PF proposal with the support of theabove-mentioned supervisor(s)June – September 2024MSCA-PF 2024call deadline11th September 2024Website for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute ECOBIO – UMR 6553 CNRS Université de Rennes Country France State/Province Brittany City Rennes Postal Code 35042 Street 263 avenue Général Leclerc GeofieldWhere to apply WebsiteContact State/ProvinceBrittany CityRennes WebsiteStreet263 avenue Général Leclerc Postal Code35042 E-Mailcontact@2pe-bretagne.euSTATUS: EXPIRED

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Location

Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine

Job date

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 23:24:24 GMT

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