Are you looking for a master project that combine ecology, microbiology and molecular biology then look here!

Research area: Protists are eukaryotic single-celled microorganisms. They comprise a diverse group of organisms with proposedly up to 300.000 species worldwide. Protists can be found in many different ecological niches, with different specializations and are important players in the microbial food web. Protists in the soil matrix have been shown to affect the general health and growth of associated plants via selective predation of bacteria. Protist feeding on soil microorganisms shapes the microbiome structure of the rhizosphere by selecting microorganisms with specific traits and adaptations. Furthermore, protist predation of bacteria also leads to an increase of nutrient availability for the plants, increasing plant growth. These predator-prey interactions could be regulated by activation of secondary metabolite production by both bacteria and protists. Via the root system, these metabolites will affect the plant performance. Although the interactions between protist and bacteria play a vital role, the understanding of such interactions and implications on plant growth and health are limited.

What we offer: An interesting project focusing on protist and their interactions with their associated bacteria. You will among other get to work with culturing of microbes, sequencing, bioinformatics, and microscopy. We are therefore looking for a master’s student interested in biology, ecology, microbiology, and molecular biology.

This work will be based at the Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, which is located in Risø Campus in Roskilde (Frederiksborgvej 399).

Contact information: PhD student Christine Elberg ([email protected]), PhD student Julie Andersen ([email protected]) or Professor Anne Winding ([email protected]).