We are looking for a PhD-student in the EU-Horizon-funded TULIP project. Your goal is to study how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is spread in water via plastics. You model biofilm formation on plastics, AMR gene acquisition and exchange in the biofilm, and the environmental transport and fate of both AMR and plastics. All with the aim to better understand the extent to which plastics enhance the environmental spread of AMR in surface water. You will do this for a case study in Italy and a case study in the Philippines. Do you have a background in environmental or life sciences? Do you get energy from working in an international and multidisciplinary team? Read on!
What you can expect of PhD Position: Modelling the spread of antimicrobial resistance on plastics in water
Focus of the PhD thesis is on modelling the transport and fate of plastic litter and microplastics, coated with a biofilm. As both microbes and antibiotics attach easily to plastics, litter and microplastics may be real incubators of AMR, providing a favourable micro-environment for the exchange of resistance genes. As part of the project, our project partners will take field samples and carry out laboratory experiments. Based on field observations and experiments, you will develop and implement a model to describe the formation of biofilms and the uptake and distribution of AMR in them, and on larger scale forecast the spatio-temporal distribution of plastic with AMR affected biofilms in the environment. This transport and fate modelling helps to understand where plastics and AMR interact, the spread of plastic-transported AMR over time and what critical areas are with high AMR concentrations.
Deltares recruits a PhD candidate to work on the TULIP project, under academic supervision of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The focus of Deltares on hydrodynamic plastic distribution models and the focus of the VU on systems biology, provides you with the perfect combination to unravel the mechanisms of microbial growth on plastic and the spread of these particles in the environment.
Your duties
As a PhD candidate in this project you will:
- Explore sources, leakages, transport pathways, and fate of both macro and microplastics.
- Develop a conceptual model for AMR emissions and dispersion from literature, examining the sources, transport routes and their fate.
- Develop a model for biofilm formation, based on laboratory experiments.
- Using steps 1-3, assess the transport and fate of AMR on plastics with a set of models for each of the case study locations in Italy and the Philippines.
This PhD position will be part of the international research project âCommunity-based engagement and inTerventions to stem the tide of antimicrobial resistance spread in the aqUatic environments catalysed by cLImate change and Plastic pollution interactionsâ (TULIP). You will collaborate with project partners in the Philippines and Italy to validate assumptions and implications of the models. You will present the results of your doctoral research at conferences and symposia and in scientific journal articles.
Qualifications
- MSc degree in microbiology, environmental sciences, systems biology, biophysics, ecology, or related field;
- Proven experience in numerical modelling in one of the relevant fields;
- Enthusiasm for expanding system understanding based on combining environmental, microbiological and other data with model development;
- Affinity with inter-disciplinary science;
- Technical skills to work with large datasets using scripts (R, Python, Matlab, etc.);
- Excellent English communication skills, written and oral.
For this PhD you will travel at least once to the Philippines and Italy.
What we offer
- Supervision by an interdisciplinary team, consisting of Dr. Frans Buschman, Dr. Anniek de Jong, and Dr. Eline Boelee (all Deltares) as well as Dr. Rik Oldenkamp and Prof. Frank Bruggeman (both VU Amsterdam);
- You will be employed by Deltares and based at Deltares and VU Amsterdam;
- You will be enrolled in a research school via VU Amsterdam, either PE&RC, SENSE, or BioSB, all of which offer training and support;
- The gross salary will be in line with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU);
- Diverse and inclusive working environment.
Apply
Are you interested in this position and do you fit the qualifications? Then apply directly by uploading your CV and a letter outlining your motivation, by April 7, 2024. First round of interviews will be held in the week of April 22nd.
If you have any questions about the vacancy, you can contact Brian de Bruin (HR Recruitment Officer; sollicitatie@deltares.nl; +31615267686).
Deltares is an inclusive employer. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming colleagues from diverse backgrounds enhances the quality of our research and organization. We welcome people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.
