AGBS - Postdoc in Soil Molecular Biology and Microbial Diversity

About UM6P:

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University is an institution dedicated to research and innovation in Africa and aims to position itself among world-renowned universities in its fields

The University is engaged in economic and human development and puts research and innovation at the forefront of African development.

A mechanism that enables it to consolidate Morocco's frontline position in these fields, in a unique partnership-based approach and boosting skills training relevant for the future of Africa.

Located in the municipality of Benguerir, in the very heart of the Green City, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University aspires to leave its mark nationally, continentally, and globally.

About CAES:

The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is a cornerstone of UM6P’s commitment to addressing the critical challenges of agriculture, water management, and climate change in Africa. Established to operationalize the Agriculture, Water, and Climate (AWC) strategy, CAES integrates advanced research, education, and innovation across multiple disciplines. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, strategic partnerships, and applied research, CAES aims to foster sustainable development, enhance food security, and improve natural resource management in Morocco and beyond.

Job Summary

CAES-UM6P invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher specializing in soil molecular biology and microbial diversity, with strong practical expertise in the isolation, purification, identification, and cultivation of soil photosynthetic microorganisms, particularly microalgae and cyanobacteria.

The successful candidate will investigate the diversity, physiology, and ecological functions of soil photosynthetic microorganisms and their interactions with other soil organisms and plants. The research will combine culture-based approaches, molecular characterization, and controlled experiments to assess their contributions to soil fertility, nutrient cycling, soil aggregation, and sustainable agriculture.

Key responsibilities

• Design and conduct soil sampling campaigns targeting photosynthetic microorganisms across different environments and agricultural systems.
• Develop and optimize protocols for isolating soil microalgae and cyanobacteria using enrichment cultures, serial dilution, plating, micromanipulation, and other appropriate techniques.
• Establish unialgal or unicyanobacterial cultures, assess culture purity, and obtain axenic cultures where required.
• Optimize culture media and growth conditions, including light intensity, photoperiod, temperature, pH, and nutrient availability.
• Establish, maintain, and document a collection of well-characterized soil photosynthetic strains, including suitable preservation procedures.
• Identify isolates through microscopy and molecular markers appropriate to the target organisms.
• Characterize growth, photosynthetic performance, pigment production, and responses to environmental stresses.
• Investigate interactions between photosynthetic microorganisms, soil bacteria, fungi, and plants.
• Evaluate selected strains for functions such as exopolysaccharide production, soil aggregation, plant growth promotion, and, where relevant, nitrogen fixation.
• Apply DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, quantitative PCR, and sequencing approaches to investigate soil microbial diversity and functional potential.
• Integrate culture-based findings with sequencing data, soil properties, and plant responses.
• Publish research findings, contribute to funding proposals, and support student supervision and laboratory training.

Required qualifications

• A PhD in microbiology, phycology, soil biology, molecular biology, microbial ecology, biotechnology, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated advanced expertise in isolating and cultivating photosynthetic microorganisms from soil, particularly microalgae and cyanobacteria.
• Strong practical experience in culture purification, contamination detection, strain maintenance, and optimization of cultivation conditions.
• Proficiency in microscopy and morphological characterization of microalgae and/or cyanobacteria.
• Experience with molecular identification and characterization of microbial isolates.
• Practical expertise in nucleic acid extraction, PCR, and quantitative PCR.
• Experience in experimental design, statistical analysis, and scientific data interpretation.
• A publication record relevant to microbial cultivation, photosynthetic microorganisms, or soil microbial ecology.
• Strong scientific writing, communication, and teamwork skills.

Desirable qualifications

• Experience with biological soil crusts and terrestrial or stress-tolerant photosynthetic microorganisms.
• Experience establishing axenic cultures and maintaining microbial culture collections.
• Expertise in chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, photosynthetic activity assays, or pigment analysis.
• Experience with amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and bioinformatics.
• Familiarity with greenhouse and field trials assessing microbial inoculants.
• Experience scaling up cultivation in controlled systems or photobioreactors.

Application procedure

Applicants should submit a cover letter, a detailed CV including publications, and contact details for three referees. The cover letter should highlight hands-on experience in the isolation, purification, and cultivation of soil microalgae and cyanobacteria, including the organisms studied and techniques used.