Senior Research Officer

Department

Come join Dr Eoin O’Gorman’s EcoSAGE Research Group (https://ecosagelab.wordpress.com) in the vibrant School of Life Sciences at University of Essex. This is a research active department, working to tackle the global challenges of the 21st Century. WebDNA is a Leverhulme-funded project investigating food web reconstruction through environmental DNA analysis. You will be based at the University of Essex with Dr O’Gorman, but will also spend time working with Prof Stefano Mariani and his group at Liverpool John Moores University, Prof Eleonora Ciccotti and her group at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, and project partners at CEFAS. The collaborative team are world leaders in food web ecology, eDNA analysis, fish biology, marine ecosystems, and data analysis. 

Duties of the Role

The overarching goal of the project is to test whether food webs inferred from the taxonomic lists generated through eDNA metabarcoding will capture similar ecosystem responses to environmental change as those constructed using traditional, invasive, labour-intensive methods from food web ecology. The approach will be generalised by conducting the same comparative methods in three independent scenarios, exploring different temporal scales and distinct aquatic environments. The successful postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for processing samples by traditional (i.e. non-DNA based) methods, including taxonomic identification, stable isotope analysis, and gut content analysis via microscopy. These samples were collected during field campaigns in Icelandic freshwater streams, Italian coastal lagoons, and research cruises to the Celtic Sea and Western English Channel during the past year. Finally, they will be responsible for food web construction and data analysis, including comparisons to food webs constructed using DNA approaches. The successful candidate should be willing to collaborate with a postdoctoral researcher focused on DNA metabarcoding, who will also be working on the project and based at LJMU.

Skills and qualifications required

We are looking for a candidate experienced in food web ecology, ideally with experience of taxonomic identification, fieldwork, and advanced statistical analysis. They will be trained in all aspects of the work, but they should be confident in their ability to problem-solve and organise this ambitious and multifaceted project. The appointee will lead on sample logistics, laboratory work, data analyses, and publication writing. Candidates should have good communication skills, and the ability to work independently as well as with other members of the research team and their collaborators. 

Please use the 'Apply' button to read further information about this role including the full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role. You will also find details of how to make your application here.

Our website http://www.essex.ac.uk contains more information about the University of Essex. If you have a disability and would like information in a different format, please email resourcing@essex.ac.uk.

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