Position Announcement Date: December 17, 2002
Position: Graduate Student Research Assistantships
Two graduate student research assistantships are available to work on a project to determine the diversity of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi and the importance of that diversity for plant productivity and nutrient uptake in arctic tundra. The students will work with Kansas State University researchers Ari Jumpponen (Mycologist) and Loretta Johnson, (Ecosystem Ecologist). The goals are to characterize mycorrhizal fungi from ericaceous plants using morphological and molecular approaches as well as determine the ability of plants and ErM fungi for uptake of complex organic sources of nitrogen under laboratory and field conditions. The project involves a field component at the Toolik Lake Long Term Ecological Research Site on Alaska's North Slope and a laboratory component at Kansas State University. Applicants should be available to begin work on the project during summer 2003 or at the latest fall 2003. Applicants should have experience in plant ecology and stable isotopes or working with pure cultures and molecular techniques. For further information on the available positions contact Ari Jumpponen (ari@ksu.edu; tel. 785 532 6751) or Loretta Johnson (johnson@ksu.edu; tel. 785 532 6921).