Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies.
Do you want to know more about LIST? Check our website: https://www.list.lu/

BLUE HORIZON is a life sciences company with a mission to become a global leader in bio engineering developing and using earth and space technology for the benefit of mankind. Check out our website: https://www.bluehorizon.space/bluehorizon.html

Homepage: https://www.list.lu/

We invite applications for a postdoctoral researcher to join the submission of the FIXATE project to the FNR Industrial Fellowship call, with a call deadline of 24/04/2026, a FNR funding decision within 3 months, and, if successful, a position start in late 2026.

FIXATE is a collaboration between LIST, the Luxembourg company Blue Horizon and this post-doctoral candidate, focusing on optimizing carbon and nitrogen fixation in engineered biological soil crusts (biocrusts) for ecological restoration and carbon credit generation in semi-arid regions. The project involves a 1-hectare pilot site in Morocco and employs advanced stable isotope probing techniques to identify key microbial species responsible for carbon and nitrogen fixation. The insights gained will inform the refinement of microbial consortia to enhance biocrust performance, contributing to sustainable land management and climate change mitigation efforts.

Key Responsibilities
Conduct field sampling and laboratory analyses of biocrusts from Moroccan pilot plots.
Apply stable isotope probing (13CO₂ and 15N₂) to quantify microbial carbon and nitrogen fixation.
Perform microbial community analyses using amplicon sequencing (16S, ITS, 18S) and bioinformatics pipelines.
Correlate microbial community structure with environmental variables and biogeochemical functions.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams at LIST and Blue Horizon.
Contribute to the optimization of microbial consortia for enhanced biocrust performance.
Prepare manuscripts for publication and present findings at scientific conferences.

Requirements
Ph.D. in Microbial Ecology, Environmental Microbiology, Soil Science, or a related field.
Proficiency in bioinformatics tools for sequencing data analysis.
Experience with microbial community analysis.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
(Ideal but not required) Experience with stable isotope probing techniques.

Interested candidates should visit the FNR website (www.fnr.lu) and inspect the Industrial Fellowship call documents (https://www.fnr.lu/funding-instruments/industrial-fellowships/).
If you are interested and eligible to apply for this funding opportunity with us, please email the following application materials to Dr Kate Buckeridge (kate.buckeridge@list.lu) by 16/02/2026:

1. A cover letter detailing research interests and relevant experience.
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV) including a list of publications.
3. Contact information for two professional references.