PhD position in New Zealand

PhD position in New Zealand available beginning November/December 2010, these include stipends and course fees.

We are seeking enthusiastic PhD candidates with interests in both fundamental and applied aspects of microbial ecology and evolution, biogeography and genetics to join our group in Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

We have recently been awarded funds to provide options to improve NZ wines (and thus exports). One of the roles of the Goddard group in the program is to test the hypothesis that different regions of NZ have different microbial communities and populations, and then to test some members of these communities for their potential to contribute to novel wine attributes during the fermentation process.

This projects will integrate ecological theory (we are fundamentally testing ideas concerning species composition in space and time, and the degree to which these species are adapted to the niches in which they are found), molecular biology and genetics (including next-generation sequencing, as tools to quantify species presence and abundance and differentiate and quantify relatedness of individuals within species) and applied aspects of yeast ecology (examining the impact of candidate yeasts on wine aroma and flavour using experimental fermentation and volatile analyses).

The student will be expected to gather samples from vineyards and wineries around NZ, then use microbiology and molecular biology techniques to analyze communities and populations, then employ community ecology and population genetic analyses to test the hypotheses of interest. The PhD student will go onto examine the fitness landscapes of these isolates from different areas and niches, and also screen isolates, and interactions between isolates, for strains of potential worth to the wine industry - i.e. do any of them make interesting/different wine? This may also provide the student with GC-MS and sensory analysis experience.

This position provides a tax-free stipend of NZD$25,000 per annum for 3 years; the successful applicant must ensure they have the correct immigration permit. You will be part of a close-knit, friendly team in the Goddard group that will interact with the other program partners in the University, Plant and Food Research (a Crown Research Institute) and Lincoln University, as well as collaborating wine companies in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago.

Please send a one-page expression of interest, grade transcript and a CV to Dr Mat Goddard (m.goddard@auckland.ac.nz)

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Dr Matthew R Goddard
School of Biological Sciences
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142
New Zealand
http://www.sbs.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/science/about/departments/sbs/