Isogeochem Folks,

Please forgive this repost of a job advertisement -- the original was  
posted to the list a couple weeks ago by my institute's HR department  
and this version contains more information. Please forward and post.

Thanks
Troy

Organic Geochemistry Post-Doc at New Zealand's National Isotope Centre  
(NIC)
NIC is seeking a post-doctoral fellow. NIC’s research and commercial  
activities are supported by a sophisticated technical infrastructure,  
including accelerator mass spectrometry, stable isotope mass  
spectrometers, chemical laboratories, and a new Agilent 5975 GC-MS  
system. This position is for a two year fixed period. The role will be  
involved in two exciting projects within NIC’s Terrestrial Isotope  
Biogeochemistry Laboratory.

The first project involves using biomarker compounds and nitrogen  
isotopes to investigate population and fertility changes leading to  
the pre-historic societal collapse on Easter Island.

The second project investigates the changes in biomarker compounds  
associated with loss of organic matter from intensively farmed pasture  
soils as well as soil organic matter recovery following erosion.

The ideal candidate will be an ambitious and bright postdoctoral  
research fellow with the following:
• A PhD in the field of organic geochemistry.
• A track record of publications in the field of organic geochemistry.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• The ability to work and collaborate within multidisciplinary  
research teams
• The ability to supervise technicians and students to complete  
laboratory tasks.
• Practical knowledge and experience in organic geochemistry as it  
relates to the analysis of soils or soil-derived sediments.
• Willingness to travel to collaborating overseas laboratories to  
learn analysis techniques.

The initial closing date is 8 Nov, and applications will be evaluated  
until the position is filled.

For more information and to apply, go to https://vacancies.gns.cri.nz

******

More info on the two projects is below and additional links can be  
found on my personal webpage http://www.gns.cri.nz/who/staff/2234.html

For the Easter Island Marsden Project:
·       Undertake faecal steroid analysis on Easter Island sediments,  
including learning the technique in year 1 at the Stroud Water  
Research Institute near Philidelphia, USA, and implementing the  
technique at NIC. See also http://www.stroudcenter.org/about/aufdenkampe.htm
·       Analysis of d15N in Easter Island sediments to understand  
changes in the contemporary C cycle of New Zealand

For the Global Change Through Time Programme:
·       Apply and develop techniques such as thermochemolysis and CuO  
oxidation for the analysis of lignin biomarkers to test hypotheses for  
the gain or loss of soil organic matter in re-sampled soil profiles  
after ~20 years.
·       Identify key biomarker compounds present in New Zealand soils,  
and work on the development of an international database of biomarker  
compounds.
·       Develop compound-specific isotope analysis techniques.
·       Collaboration opportunities exist with the following labs
		·       http://www.purdue.edu/eas/biogeochem/research.html
		·       http://moab.colorado.edu/NeffLab.html
		·       http://www.science.oregonstate.edu/~lajthak/descriptionreaserach/index.html


W. Troy Baisden, PhD
Senior Scientist
Environmental Isotope Section
National Isotope Centre
GNS Science

Ph +64 4 570 4653
Fax +64 4 570 4657

Postal Address:
30 Gracefield Road,
PO Box 31-312,
Lower Hutt,
New Zealand

http://www.gns.cri.nz/who/staff/2234.html

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