Postdoc in Fluorescent tracers of water quality and treatment

You will work with a well-regarded team at the forefront of the field of water characterization by fluorescence spectroscopy. Chalmers has a central location within a liveable and connected European city, and excellent office and research facilities including a spatious and well-equipped laboratory.

Information about the research
Quantifying dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic samples is critical for estimating global carbon turnover and measuring the success of water treatment. A major challenge is that DOM consists of a complex mixture of organic compounds that can't be separated analytically and behave differently under abiotic and biotic gradients. Fluorescence spectroscopy is increasingly used to study DOM and enables sampling campaigns with extensive spatial and temporal coverage. A limitation is our poor understanding of the relationship between fluorescence and DOM composition. Additionally, fluorescence signals due to biomarkers and micropollutants are obscured by intense background fluorescence from DOM, preventing them from being observed or quantified by fluorescence spectroscopy.
In this project you will work to analytically and mathematically resolve the complex signals from DOM in order to expose hidden data from low-concentration organic constituents. The sample matrices will include drinking water and wastewater. Experiments will be performed in the lab to assess DOM and micropollutant removal during biological and chemical water treatment.

The research will be carried out within division Water Environment Technology (WET), dept. of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Chalmers. In this project, you will work with experts on DOM characterisation, chemometrics, and drinking water and wastewater treatment. You will be surrounded by numerous ongoing projects related to environmental assessment, water treatment and resource recovery. Collaborators in this project work at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and at Lund University. The project will also connect to the Swedish Center for drinking water research (DRICKS) and various municipalities.

Major responsibilities
Your duties will include:
• literature review
• planning and implementing experiments in the laboratory.
• implementing data analyses under the oversight of subject experts.
• managing and archiving datasets arising from the project.
• co-supervising junior staff, potentially including PhD and Masters students.
• communicating interim results to team members on regular basis.
• scientific writing for journal publications and presenting results at scientific meetings/conference.

The above activities will be performed in close collaboration, and regular communication, with team members.

Position summary
This is a two-year, full-time, temporary position. In addition to performing research, the applicant may be invited to teach up to a maximum of 10 % FTE.

Qualifications
To qualify, you need to hold a doctoral degree in one of the following fields, or in a field that is closely related: analytical chemistry/ aquatic chemistry/ chemical ecology / environmental engineering. Your PhD degree should not be older than six years excluding allowable absences (parental and sick leave).

As a postdoctoral fellow in our group, you are expected to work independently while cooperating with team members and seeking out new opportunities. You are energetic and organized and communicate proficiently in written and spoken English. You have a quantitative approach to data analysis with solid statistical and programming skills. You have laboratory experience especially in analytical methods for water quality analysis.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Our offer to you
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the dynamic city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers.

PLEASE READ MORE AND APPLY HERE.

Application deadline: 1 August, 2021

For questions, please contact:
Assoc. prof. Kathleen Murphy, WET, ACE, murphyk@chalmers.se, +46-31-7722160

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***