Antibiotics have made it possible to cure and prevent infections in humans and animals. As a result, quality of life has improved enormously. Unfortunately we now face a major challenge which threatens human health: antibiotic resistance.  Antibiotic resistance is a major problem which has resulted in increased morbidity, prolonged illness, a greater risk for complications, and higher mortality rates.

Antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria end up in the environment via different routes. An important source is municipal wastewater. Biological processes are the core of wastewater treatment, which is primarily designed to remove organic pollution and nutrients. However, it has been demonstrated that wastewater treatment plants can enhance the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between different types of bacteria. By discharge of the effluent into receiving bodies, these bacteria will find their way into the environment. This may lead to further spread of antibiotic resistance and pose a threat to public health.

The goal of this project is to study the occurrence of antibiotic resistant genes in wastewater treatment and the effect of different process parameters in the transfer of these genes. The information obtained can serve to better design and operation of wastewater treatment plants.

You will be working in a new, innovative, dynamic and future-directed research institute. You will be able to put your stamp on the development of new water technology. You will work in close collaboration with our industrial partners and also with top research groups at various universities. Salary and working conditions are according to the collective labor agreement of the Cooperative Association of Dutch Universities (VSNU) for PhD students. PhD students are appointed by one of the cooperating universities but research is mainly conducted at Wetsus in Leeuwarden.

Location: Wetsus, Leeuwarden

Promotor: prof.dr.ir Mark van Loosdrecht

Wetsus project manager: dr.ir. Lucía Hernández Leal

Interested candidates can submit their applications by clicking on the "APPLY"button. Please include a motivation letter, CV (including references) and a list of courses and grades. 

For more information about this position, please contact dr.Lucía Hernández Leal, e-mail: lucia.hernandez@wetsus.nl.

We are looking for an excellent, highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher with an MSc degree in the field of (environmental) microbiology with affinity with water technology/process engineering. Adequate experimental and theoretical skills are required. Candidates with experience with molecular biological techniques such as qPCR are preferred. Knowledge of bioinformatics is a plus.

Are you one of the top 3 performers in your class? Are you enthusiastic about multidisciplinary research? And are you highly motivated? If the answer to all three of these questions is "yes" and you have (or will have) a MSc degree in a related discipline described above you could be the ideal candidate for a PhD project in Wetsus. Fluency in English is a requirement. Interview and a scientific presentation will be part of the selection procedure.

Send your application including cover letter to: Wetsus-idkkk8-826490<στο>jobs.researchgate.net