Microbes are prolific (≈60% of Earth’s biomass) and exhibit substantial genetic diversity; however, laboratory methods for culturing these diverse microbes in vitro are severely limited. It is estimated that the majority (85%-99%) of genotypes detected in environmental samples represent microbial “dark matter” that cannot currently be cultured in modern microbiology laboratories. Without the ability to study these organisms in the laboratory, our understanding of microbial communities remains incomplete and many biological molecules (e.g., novel antibiotics) and biochemical pathways remain undiscovered. We are interested in developing new approaches (e.g., engineered microenvironments, mixed species cultures) for expanding microbial culture capabilities, as well as evaluating culture independent strategies (metagenomics, bioinformatics, synthetic biology) to determine microbial function from sequence data. Since this project is highly interdisciplinary, we are seeking applicants from various fields including chemistry, microbiology, and engineering.

 

key words

Microbial communities; Microfluidics; Microbiome; Unculturable; Metagenomics; Bioinformatics; Synthetic biology;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants