Professor Microbial interactions in plant and environmental systems

211-0367/26-2K Professor within Microbial interactions in plant and environmental systems

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science University of Copenhagen

The Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (PLEN);
Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen invites applications for a position as full Professor within the area of microbial interactions in plant and environmental systems.

Research and teaching at PLEN covers topics within Agriculture, Plant Science, Biotechnology, Biosolutions and Environmental Sciences, dealing with a wide range of subjects focusing especially on plants, soil, and microorganisms from molecules through organisms to populations and anthropogenic ecosystems. It is our vision to maintain and develop our position as one of the leading departments for plant science and the related areas based on excellent basic and applied research.

The department hosts state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure and unique field research facilities, with many opportunities for collaborations across the department. The department is organised into four sections, and the appointed professor will be affiliated to the section of Environmental Sciences located at the Frederiksberg campus.

The section of Environmental Sciences carries out world‑leading research across diverse disciplines, including soil microbiology, chemistry, agrohydrology, ecotoxicology, to assess and mitigate human impacts on ecosystems. By combining measurements, experiments, and modelling, the section supports both basic environmental science and applied solutions for sustainable agriculture, climate mitigation, and clean soil and water. The section of Environmental Sciences conducts world‑leading research covering environmental biology, chemistry, and ecosystem science.

Focusing on agroecosystems and impacts on soil, water, and the atmosphere, the section connects fundamental discoveries to solutions for targeting climate impacts, microbial diversity, and toxicological challenges.

The professor is expected to teach both at the BSc and MSc levels primarily in the Biotechnology and the Natural resources and Environmental Sciences programmes at the Frederiksberg Campus and to expand these regular teaching commitments to the new MSc in Biosolutions in Kalundborg.

Duties include the applicant’s own research, development of the field, assessment tasks, grant applications, and research management such as supervision and training of research fellows and other staff. The successful applicant must also teach, supervise, prepare and participate in examinations, and fulfill other tasks requested by the Department.

The professorship is advertised within the area of microbial solutions for climate‑friendly and sustainable production systems. Full exploitation of these solutions requires basic understanding of the complex interactions in the environment which shape microbial communities and their functions in soil and at the plant root interface.

Hence, The Appointed Professor Should Have a Broad Knowledge Of Microbial Ecology Including Microbial Functioning Under Soil Conditions, Drivers For Microbiome Assembly As Well As Microbe‑microbe And Plant‑microbe Interactions Of Importance For Soil And Plant Health. It Is Expected That The Professor Has a Recognized International Position In The Field And Contributes To The Design And Implementation Of New Methodologies Within Microbial Ecology.

The Successful Candidate Is Expected To Drive Research Within

• Model system development for causality and mechanistic understanding of microbial functioning under natural soil conditions
• The microbial component of N and P nutrition in agricultural systems
• Drivers for root colonization and…