Master's thesis in Reconstructing methanotrophic bacteria communities during the Holocene of an alpine lake

Process and subsample the Lac de Taney sediment core (~50 samples) Extract and analyze lipid biomarkers via UHPLC-Orbitrap-HRMS Perform DNA extraction and prepare samples for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing Interpret multi-proxy data to reconstruct past microbial community dynamics Optionally join a fieldwork campaign at Lake Rotsee to see the full workflow of core retrieval firsthand in October 2026

Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). Eawag conducts research, education and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The Department of Surface Waters – Research and Management (SURF), in Dübendorf (ZH), has a vacancy for a Master's thesis in Reconstructing methanotrophic bacteria communities during the Holocene of an alpine lake (m/f/d).

• Student enrolled in an MSc programme at ETH in geoscience, environmental science, biology, or a related field

• Interest in biogeochemistry, (paleo)limnology, and/or microbial ecology

• Willingness to work with a range of analytical techniques

• No prior experience with mass spectrometry or molecular biology is required