Career Center

Open Positions on Functional Genetics of Nested Symbioses between Insects, Wolbachia, and Phage WO

The laboratory of Seth and Sarah Bordenstein (https://bordensteinlab.com) seeks several staff members (postdoc, staff scientist, research professor) to work as part of an experienced, diverse team focused on the rules of insect-microbe-phage endosymbiosis in Drosophila flies and Nasonia wasps. Key focal areas include genetics and mechanisms of how hosts control endosymbiont densities, how endosymbionts selfishly kill male embryos, and how baceriophage lyse endosymbiotic bacteria.

See application instructions below and please read the cited papers below to identify specific areas of interest for your application.

The Bordenstein lab in Pennsylvania State University at University Park has 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 Wolbachia-induced male killing using Drosophila melanogaster transgenics, cell biology, reproductive biology, microscopy, and multi-omics (PLOS Pathogens 2019, 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, PLOS Genetics 2022)

· Functional genetics and cell biology of how animal hosts keep symbiont densities in check (Current Biology 2018)

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Informal inquiries are welcome to s.bordenstein@psu.edu in a single pdf and must include (i) a cover letter that summarizes the relevant experience and specific reasons for interest in the research topics; with start date (ii) a CV that includes contact information for three+ references (name, position, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address) and (iii) 1st authored publications, posters, or seminar slides. Jobs will posted at https://hr.psu.edu/careers (search for 'Bordenstein' for job ads), and the lab website is currently at https://lab.vanderbilt.edu/bordenstein/