For further information, contact Prof Perga (marie-elodie.perga@unil.ch)
We have several opportunities related to the QUAGGA-MUFFIN project starting in 2026.
The quagga mussel is an invasive species in European freshwater environments, which has been colonizing Switzerland’s large lakes since 2016. These dreissenid mussels have phenomenal colonization and filtration capabilities, which lead to the transformation of the lakes they colonize.
1. 6-Month Master’s degree internship opportunity : The role of quagga mussel colonization on the phosphorus cycle in Swiss lakes.
In the large Laurentian lakes, where the invasion by the quagga mussel preceded that of European lakes by two decades, the phosphorus cycle is now completely regulated by quagga mussels. In other words, phosphorus concentrations, the main regulator of algae production, no longer depend on inputs from the watershed, but on the interannual dynamics of mussel populations. This Master’s internship aims to assess the extent to which quagga mussels, at their current and future densities, could become a key link in the phosphorus cycle in Lake Geneva.
Nature of the research work: literature review, modeling, field sampling, laboratory measurements.
You will interact with other members of the QUAGGA-MUFFIN project within the LAKES team. The team is English- and French-speaking.
Required skills:
- Current training in environmental sciences, oceanography, or ecology.
- Training in numerical modeling or computing (R or Python)
Duration: 6 months (February-July or March-August)
Remuneration: 1800 CHF/month
Location: University of Lausanne, Géopolis
Contact: Prof. Marie-Elodie Perga, LAKES team
Application: a CV, a cover letter, and a sample of written work or code (internship report, report produced as part of a course, etc.) before December 19, 2025.
6 month-organic chemist position
2. 6-Month Chemist-isotopic position : Amino-acid specific isotope composition of quagga mussels
As part of the QUAGGA-MUFFIN project, we are seeking a isotope specialist qualified in compound-specific nitrogen isotope analyses, to study the tophic position of the quagga within the lakes food web. You would be based at EAWAG in Kastanienbaum, where the labs are located, with close interaction witht the UNIL’s group in Lausanne.
Required qualification : PhD in geochemistry, environment or equivalent with demonstrated experience in compound-specific isotope analyses.
Duration: 6 months (from April 2026 or later)
Remuneration : 6600 CHF/month
Contact: Prof. Marie-Elodie Perga, LAKES team
Application: a CV, a cover letter, and a publication list, before January 30th 2026.
3. 6-month or more, part-time student assistant position
The student (Bachelor’s or Master’s level) will assist members of the QUAGGA-MUFFIN project in field work planning and realization (zooplankton and museels samplings, corings), laboratory analyses (countings, samples conditioning and preliminary measures).
Required qualification and skills : environmental science training (Geology, Ecolgy, environmental science), basics in lab and field work, autonomy, team work.
Duration: minimum 6 months (from March 2026), 40% part-time.
Remuneration : from 2000 CHF/month (depending on level and working time).
Contact: Prof. Marie-Elodie Perga, LAKES team
Application: a CV, a cover letter, before January 30th 2026.