CV David Singer
- I am both a pedologist and a biologist specializing in the diversity, ecology and biogeography of micro-eukaryotes. After a PhD at the University of Neuchâtel and several postdocs in South America, North America and Europe, I am now a permanent researcher at HES-SO Changins and senior scientist in the Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity at UniNE (Switzerland).
- My research investigates the eukaryotic diversity of soil microorganisms across various ecosystems, with a focus on protist taxonomy and functional ecology. My approaches combine morphological and molecular analyses with custom bioinformatic pipelines, using both Illumina and nanopore sequencing technologies.
Employment History
Permanent Research Associate
Teaching and investigation of soil microorganism diversity in vineyard ecosystems using metabarcoding and nanopore sequencing.
Postdoc
eDNA metabarcoding of benthic foraminifera in estuarine habitats.
PhD
A molecular approach to microeukaryotic
diversity, ecology and biogeography
associated with Sphagnum mosses
Senior Scientist
Research project supervision, student mentoring, and scientific article writing in soil microbial diversity.
Postdoc
Project VITAE: Eukaryotic diversity in vineyard soils.
Postdoc
Training in single-cell transcriptomics applied to micro-eukaryotes. Metabarcoding on Arcelinida with specific COI primers
Personal Grants
2023 — Neotropical Myxobiota VII Generación de Conocimiento / CSIC Real Jardín Botanico, Madrid, Spain Study of Amoebozoa diversity in the Mata Atlántica forest of Brazil. Role: Collaborator (PI: E. Lara) — €215,000
2018 — Early Postdoc Mobility Grant (SNF) Swiss National Science Foundation — P2NEP3-178543 From environmental metabarcoding to single-cell transcriptomics: evaluation of human impact on micro-eukaryotic diversity of the Tietê River, São Paulo, Brazil. Role: PI — CHF 87,666
2015 — Swiss Barcoding of Life Initiative SwissBOL Morphological and genetic description of new cryptic species in the Nebela collaris species complex (Hyalospheniidae, Arcellinida). Role: PI — CHF 3,000
Awards
"Helen Tappan, Early Career Researcher Award 2018"
ISTAR in recognition of a contribution to fundamental advances in understanding the taxonomy, community structure, and functional ecology of testate amoeba.
“Karl Gottlieb Grell Award 2018”
German Society of Protozoology in recognition of an outstanding contribution in the field of protistological research.
“Prix Jean-Luc Crélerot 2018”
University of Neuchâtel, in recognition of a PhD in the “evolution of the organisms” field of research.