Doctoral Position in Groundwater Microbial and Viral Ecology and Bioinformatics

About the role

The Geomitigation of Greenhouse Gases group at ETH Zurich is recruiting a Doctoral candidate for a newly funded SNSF interdisciplinary project on how microbial and viral communities influence carbon cycling in groundwater. The project combines microbial and viral ecology, environmental genomics and hydrogeochemistry. The position is fixed-term, based in Zurich, and fully funded for 48 months.

Key responsibilities

• Analyze large-scale metagenomic, metatranscriptomic and viral sequencing datasets to study microbial and viral diversity, activity and function in groundwater
• Characterize microbial metabolic potential, focusing on carbon-cycling pathways and their response to environmental conditions
• Investigate community dynamics, virus-host interactions and evolutionary adaptation across groundwater age and geochemical gradients
• Combine multi-omics data with hydrogeochemical measurements
• Perform DNA and RNA extractions and contribute to laboratory analyses such as flow cytometry and microscopy
• Write manuscripts and present results at international conferences
• Collaborate with the Principal Investigator, project partners and other researchers

Required profile

• MSc in microbiology, microbial ecology, bioinformatics, computational biology, geobiology or a closely related field
• Hands-on experience with metagenomic data analysis or similar environmental bioinformatics
• Strong understanding of microbial ecology, physiology and/or metabolism
• Excellent spoken and written English; ability to work independently and in teams
• Advantageous: genome-resolved metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, comparative genomics, high-performance computing, DNA/RNA extraction, or a background in groundwater microbiology or biogeochemistry

Required skills

• Linux/Unix command line and computational biology workflows
• At least one programming or scripting language such as Python, R or Bash
• Metagenomic data analysis

What we offer

• A collaborative research environment with mentorship from the PI and the project partner
• Publications, presentations, teaching assistantships, ETH doctoral courses and transferable-skills training
• Access to multi-omics datasets and ETH's computational infrastructure
• Flexible working arrangements where compatible with lab duties
• Benefits such as public transport season tickets, car sharing, sports membership, childcare and pension benefits

Applications close on 30 November 2026 through the online portal, with a cover letter, CV, transcripts, digital master's diploma and contact details for two academic references.