Exciting opportunity for a postdoc to study fungal-bacterial interactions in hyphosphere and hyphal highways using multiomics! Join our team to investigate microbiome interactions in the cotton rhizosphere.
Responsibilities:
- Conducting research utilizing both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches to study fungal-bacterial interactions in the hyphosphere.
- Cultivating bacteria and fungi using traditional agar-plate methods and high-throughput techniques (e.g., Prospector Isolation Bio).
- Developing innovative methods to study fungal-bacterial interactions in the hyphosphere and hyphal highways.
- Analyzing microbiome data using multiple omics tools, including metagenomics, genomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, and microscopic imaging.
- Performing high-throughput phenotyping assays (e.g., Biolog, enzyme assay) on environmental samples.
- Conducting statistical analyses.
- Assisting with bioinformatic analysis of large metabarcoding, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics datasets.
- Mentoring and training graduate and undergraduate students in microbiology and microbial ecological experimentation.
- Maintaining laboratory records and ensuring up-to-date lab safety documentation.
- Preparing manuscripts for publication in scientific journals.
- Completing other duties relevant to the project as required.
Required Education and Experience:
Ph.D. in a related field (microbial ecology, microbiology, plant pathology, etc.)
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Good computer skills.
- Ability to multi task and work cooperatively with others.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- In-depth conceptual and practical knowledge of aseptic microbiology.
- Knowledge and experience in the microbial culture of bacteria and fungi, including growing microorganisms in both pure culture and in interactions.
- Expertise in one or multiple omics methods relevant to the project, such as metabarcoding (16S rRNA), metagenomics (MAGs and functional annotation), genomics (assembly and annotations), and metabolomics.
- Expertise in growing cotton in the greenhouse, growth chamber, and field, and infecting with soil-borne pathogens (preferably Fusarium).
- Knowledge and experience in high-throughput phenotyping assays, such as Biolog and enzyme assays.
- Proficiency in data analysis relevant to microbiome research, including taxonomic diversity and functional annotations.
Ability to perform necessary statistical analyses and model synthesis, including network analyses for taxonomic and functional data.
- Knowledge and/or hands-on experience in preparing libraries for sequencing.
- Knowledge and/or hands-on experience in running Nanopore Minion and Illumina (MiSeq/HiSeq) sequencers.
- Knowledge and/or hands-on experience in setting up hyphosphere and/or hyphal highway experiments.
- Experience or interest in laboratory automation.
This is a grant funded position; continued employment is contingent on availability of funds.In order to be considered for this position prior to your doctoral degree being conferred, please attach a letter from your school’s official Graduate Office, Registrar’s Office or PhD Committee Chair certifying that all requirements for the doctoral degree have been met and stating the degree conferral date.
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.