Career Center

Open Positions on Symbiosis and the Microbiome Sciences

The laboratory of Seth and Sarah Bordenstein seeks several staff members (lab manager, research tech, postdoc, Research Professor) to work as part of an experienced, diverse team focused on animal-microbe-phage symbioses and animal-associated microbiomes/viromes spanning humans to insects. Key focal areas include microbiome impacts on host hybridization and speciation, rules of human microbiome and virome variation, and genetics and mechanisms of symbiont-mediated reproductive parasitism in Drosophila melanogaster and other arthropods. This position is also an excellent opportunity to manage lab members and spur new projects in collaboration with the PI. The Bordenstein lab is moving to Pennsylvania State University at University Park in the summer of ’22 with appointments in the Microbiome Center, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, and Departments of Biology and Entomology in the Eberly College of Science and College of Agricultural Sciences. Pennsylvania State University is an innovative hub of research with 16 National Academy of Science members, 24 campuses, numerous outdoor adventures, a thriving life sciences enterprise with centers and institutes, and 18 disciplines ranked in the top ten nationally for research expenditures.

Current Lab Research Directions:

·       Genetics and mechanisms of the battleground between Wolbachia endosymbionts and animal sex using transgenics, cell biology, reproductive biology, microscopy, and multi-omics (Nature 2017, eLife 2021)

·       Genomics and lytic functions of bacteriophages in animal endosymbionts using protein purifications, enzyme assays, cell culture, and transgenics in D. melanogaster (Nature Communications 2016)

·       Microbiome-assisted speciation of hosts and phylosymbiosis (Science 2013, PLOS Bio 2016, PLOS Bio 2021)

·       Patterns and causes of microbiome and virome variation across human diversity using multi-omic data, statistical tests, epidemiology, social sciences, machine learning, and wet lab experiments (PLOS Bio 2018)

Qualifications:

Applicants will have demonstrated ability to plan, execute, interpret, document, and troubleshoot multi-faceted independent research, and to collaborate effectively with members of a research team, multiple departments, and the campus-wide Microbiome Center. The successful candidate will excel in some of the following skills depending upon the project: computational biology, molecular biology for high throughput sequencing, statistics, mentoring junior members of the lab and campus community, major writing and organizational efforts for manuscripts and grants to grow and fund research, Drosophila melanogaster genetics, cell biology, and reproductive biology, Nasonia evolutionary genetics and host-microbe interactions, and communication/teaching to peers and the public through presentations, writing, and digital formats. Excellent organizational, presentation, scheduling, and verbal communication skills are required. A strong interest in professional development through the acquisition of new skills is ideal. The preferred candidate may also have experience with teaching analytic workshops, institutional review boards, biosafety handling/regulations of human and insect specimens, functional genetic studies of symbiosis, or molecular biology skills for preparing, sequencing, and analyzing omics data.