Master Thesis Plant Biogeochemistry group

Master Thesis in the Plant Biogeochemistry group Topic:
Microbial antibiotic and metal resistance gene proliferation in floodplain soils Working time

100%

Limited contract

Your contact for any questions you may have about the job:

Please submit your application via our online portal with your cover letter, CV (please omit your photo
, age, or marital status) and relevant attachments.

The UFZ has a strong commitment to diversity and actively supports equal opportunities for all employees regardless of their origin, religion, ideology, disability, age or sexual identity.
We look forward to applications from people who are open-minded and enjoy working in diverse teams.

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for environmental sciences. We are part ofthe largest scientific organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz association. Our mission:
Our research seeks to find a balance between social development and the long-term protection of our natural resources.

Global change–driven floods not only reshape or destroy landscapes but also mobilize, redistribute and deposit contaminants in flood-prone areas, potentially generating hotspots for antimicrobial resistance. Contaminants with antimicrobial properties, such as metals and antibiotics, contribute to the current unprecedented loss in soil health, affecting the soils’ microbiome and its ecosystem functions. As a microbial adaptation, resistance genes handling harmful metals and antibiotics proliferate in the environment.

While microbial resistance can support soil resilience, the spread of antibiotic resistance genes represents a major human health threat, contributing to patient treatment failures and millions of deaths annually. Thus, floods are likely to increase the abundance of microbial metal and antibiotic resistance genes in floodplain soils, which may act as reservoirs for resistance genes and promote their transfer to humans.

We are looking for a motivated, organized, and team-oriented Master’s student answering with us the question whether flood induced contamination leads to an establishment and (co-) proliferation of metal and antibiotic resistance genes in floodplain soils. The student will conduct a greenhouse mesocosm study with a real floodplain grassland. The goal is to investigate whether and how resistance acquisition evolves over time following a flooding event with environmentally relevant contaminations of metals, antibiotics, and resistant genes.

We are offering trainings and a wide range of geochemical and molecular-microbial tools in this project. As such, the student will extract DNA/RNA from soil samples and quantify resistance genes using qPCR. Additionally, they will analyze contaminants and soil geochemical parameters in pore water samples.

Next to finalizing experimental set up, sampling, and lab work, the Master´s student will learn how to process, integrate and interpret the data and receive guidance on writing their thesis. The student will be a valued member of the Plant Biogeochemistry Working Group in Leipzig, with the opportunity to participate in meetings/lectures and present their work.

The position to prepare the Master's thesis will be supervised at the site in Leipzig. It is expected to start April 2026. The practical part of the project in the lab and greenhouse will take approximately 6-8 months. Supervision will be either in English or in German. This is an unpaid position.

• Excellent supervision that supports your personal and professional development
• Exciting insights into the work of a leading research institute
• The chance to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a wide range of perspectives
• The opportunity to contribute and actively shape your own ideas and impulses
  right from the start
• Modern technical equipment and IT service to optimally support your work