Comparative evaluation procedure for n. 1 research contract - Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences

Title of the project: “Mechanisms of drought memory in soil microbial communities: from isotopic tracers to network dynamics” - The research fellow will investigate the mechanisms underlying ecological drought memory in soil microbial communities. The project will assess how previous exposure to drought events shapes the functional, physiological and structural responses of soil microorganisms to subsequent water stress. Activities will include laboratory experiments and/or analyses of samples from experimental field sites, biogeochemical measurements related to carbon and nutrient cycling, the use of isotopic tracers to quantify microbial processes such as growth, respiration and carbon use, and analyses of microbial community and network dynamics. The fellow will contribute to the integration of isotopic, functional and omics/ecological data to identify predictive indicators of soil microbial resilience to drought.