Postdoctoral Resarch Associate in the Cell Biology of Microbial Mutualisms, Michigan State University USA

Postdoctoral Resarch Associate in the Cell Biology of Microbial Mutualisms

The Heath-Heckman Symbiosis Lab uses the squid-vibrio mutualism (Euprymna scolopes – Vibrio fischeri) to explore the mechanisms by which bacterial symbioses drive physiological and developmental changes in the host.  The lab seeks a postdoctoral scholar to perform experiments to describe the epithelial cell response to conserved molecular patterns (MAMPs) produced by V. fischeri in the light organ, a structure produced solely for the support of the symbiont. 

Responsibilities

The postdoctoral scholar will be responsible for 

1) an RNA-Seq analysis of epithelial cells in contact with the symbionts at different times and under different conditions, 

2) Development of Immunocytochemical techniques to examine cellular phenomena in the light organ, and 

3) Tissue analysis through transmission electron microscopy (TEM). 

The project is open-ended, and candidates can help to shape the project as follows their interests. The postdoctoral scholar will work with the PI (Elizabeth Heath-Heckman) and other postdocs and graduate students in the lab as they join to assist in animal care, carry out analyses, and write manuscripts.

Other Details

The Heath-Heckman lab values diversity and is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive lab environment. 

Michigan State is an excellent place to be a postdoc, with an extraordinarily favorable cost-of-living: salary ratio, as well as many other labs engaged in exciting biological research. 

The position is based at Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI), but accommodations will be considered due to the COVID pandemic. 

The postdoc will have opportunities to attend workshops and conferences and become involved in other lab projects. This is a full-time, fixed-term position, with reappointment conditional on satisfactory performance. 

The position is available for up to three years (starting at 12 months, with annual review). The start date is flexible, ideally sometime during 2021.

Further Details and Application