We offer a master’s project on interactions between benthic deep-sea foraminifera and microbes in the Arctic. The project will be hosted at the Blindern campus in cooperation between the departments of Biosciences (DNA analyses) and Geosciences (sediment analyses). The student will have the chance to join a 35-days cruise on RV Polarstern (PS155, July-August), followed by a visit at the University of Troms? to process samples.
Background and aim
Metals play essential ecological and evolutionary roles in marine ecosystems, driven by microbial functions (Helmann 2025). Foraminifera are single-celled eukaryotes that thrived in metal-rich ancient oceans, diversified in benthic deep-sea ecosystems (Gooday and Jorissen 2012, Pawlowski et al., 2003), and became highly resistant to metals (Alve 1995). Yet, it is still unknown whether deep-sea benthic foraminifera have specific microbiomes and whether metal-related symbiotic interactions explain their ecological success.
The MSc project aims to investigate interactions between metal-based microbes and benthic foraminifera through a combination of genomic and sedimentological analyses of sample material from the Northern Atlantic. Such studies are important to better understand how benthic foraminifera adapt to and cope with the increasing metal pollution in marine environments.
We are seeking a master student with a general interest in Arctic deep-sea ecosystem functioning and who is curious about symbiotic communities in a unique habitat. Previous experience with microscopy, molecular biology or geochemistry is desirable, but not compusory.
Learning outcomes
The candidate will be trained for work at sea, in geochemical and molecular laboratories, and on a supercomputer. Skills will be obtained for deep-sea sediment sampling, foraminifera analysis, environmental parameters quantification (e.g., organic carbon content, grain size distribution, metal concentrations in sediments), symbiont visualization (scanning electron microscopy), and microbiome analysis (metagenomics). These skills can be used to work on various projects in ecology and evolution. The student will join a scientific network and learn how to present research findings and write in a scientific way.
What we offer
Our research environment values curiosity, commitment, and collaboration. Students will have desk space, access to laboratories, weekly meetings with supervisors, and additional networking opportunities. Complementary supervisors will provide career guidance in academia (e.g., PhD), research institutions, or industry. Our goal is to introduce the student to various scientific methods and topics.
The project is suitable for students with a biological or geological background and an interest in the marine environment. We are very happy to adapt project ideas to individual interests or wishes.
Supervisors
The student will be supervised by Franck Lejzerowicz (IBV) and Silvia Hess (GEO). Potential co-supervisors: Kamran Shalchian-Tabrizi (IBV) and Inés Barrenechea (UiT).
Contact info
For questions about the project, protocols and about support expected from the team, please email:
Franck Lejzerowicz: franck.lejzerowicz@ibv.uio.no
Silvia Hess: silvia.hess@geo.uio.no
References
Alve, E., 1995. Benthic foraminiferal responses to estuarine pollution; a review. The Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 25(3), pp.190-203.
Gooday, A.J. and Jorissen, F.J., 2012. Benthic foraminiferal biogeography: controls on global distribution patterns in deep-water settings. Annual Review of Marine Science, 4, pp.237-262.
Helmann, J.D., 2025. Microbial metal physiology: ions to ecosystems. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 23(12), pp.805-819.
Pawlowski, J., Holzmann, M., Berney, C., Fahrni, J., Gooday, A.J., Cedhagen, T., Habura, A. and Bowser, S.S., 2003. The evolution of early Foraminifera. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(20), pp.11494-11498.