PhD position

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About the research

Climate extremes, such as heat waves and drought, can leave persistent imprints on biological systems, even after their apparent recovery. These ecological memories may be encoded in genetic changes, physiological responses, species interactions, community organization or environmental modifications. Yet we know surprisingly little about how ecological memories are generated, retained, transmitted or lost, and whether they help or hinder future ecological and evolutionary responses. This PhD project will investigate a potentially transformative idea: ecological systems may retain and transmit information about environmental extremes, and this information could be critical for predicting their future persistence and adaptation. Using experimentally assembled soil food webs comprising bacteria, fungi, bacteriophages and springtails (Collembola), the researcher will explore three interconnected questions: 1. How do ecological systems acquire and store information? Investigate how environmental extremes generate ecological memories across different levels of biological organization. 2. How does ecological memory propagate? Explore whether information about past extremes can be transmitted between organisms, trophic groups and generations through ecological interactions and environmental modifications. 3. Can ecological memory predict persistence and adaptation? Examine whether retained information enhances resistance and recovery, facilitates evolutionary adaptation, or generates persistent ecological debts and vulnerabilities. The project will combine controlled microcosm experiments, experimental evolution and quantitative modelling. Ecological systems will experience contrasting histories of climate extremes, followed by recovery periods and subsequent environmental challenges. The researcher will use a resistance–recovery framework to investigate ecological debts and test whether communities that appear to have recovered nevertheless retain hidden vulnerabilities or capacities for adaptation. An innovative component will involve exploring information-theoretic approaches to understand ecological memory, distinguish it from other environmental legacies, and examine whether it improves forecasts of future ecological and evolutionary dynamics. The project offers substantial intellectual freedom to develop original hypotheses, experimental approaches and theoretical perspectives, supported by an interdisciplinary research environment.

Who are we looking for?

We welcome applicants with a strong background in ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, systems biology or related disciplines. Experience with experimental research, quantitative analyses or programming (e.g., R or Python) would be advantageous. Above all, we value scientific curiosity, original thinking, critical reasoning and a willingness to challenge established assumptions. Applicants are not expected to have expertise in every discipline involved in the project. The successful candidate will join the Terrestrial Ecology research group at the University of Bern, working in a collaborative environment that combines ecological experiments, evolutionary biology, climate-change research and quantitative approaches.