PhD in Geomicrobiology

This PhD project explores how prebiotic organic matter may have interacted with minerals on early Earth to form some of the earliest sedimentary structures, long before the emergence of life. The central aim is to understand how simple organic compounds, produced under plausible prebiotic conditions, could polymerize into organofilms, influence carbonate precipitation, and generate distinct organomineral textures that may resemble early biosignatures./nWorking in close collaboration with a Postdoctoral researcher specializing in the organic chemistry of organofilms, the PhD student will participate in the production and characterization of abiotic organic matrices and conduct organomineralization experiments under controlled environmental conditions. These experiments will make use of a variety of laboratory systems designed to simulate early Earth environments, including fluctuating redox conditions, wet–dry cycles, and interactions with mineral surfaces./nThe project includes a comparative component involving field observations in the Atacama Desert to place laboratory experiments into a broader geological context./nThe student will receive comprehensive training in carbonate biogeochemistry, organomineralization processes, and geomicrobiology while working within an international research team./nThe PhD research will be carried out at the Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, in close partnership with the University of Fribourg (UniFR) and the University of Connecticut, under the co-supervision of Dr. Dupraz (Stockholm University) and Prof. Anneleen Foubert (UniFR).