Postdoctoral position on selfish phage genes and symbionts in Drosophila The Bordenstein Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Vanderbilt Microbiome Initiative in Nashville, TN is seeking a postdoc to join a new, symbiosis project on the molecular mechanism of symbiont-induced male killing using the Wolbachia-Drosophila melanogaster model system. The project explores the function of the phage WO gene wmk that is a candidate for selectively killing males. Male killing can drive through arthropod populations worldwide and potentially be deployed as an insect control tool. Related publication: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1007936 Interested in joining our team? Contact Seth Bordenstein at s.bordenstein@vanderbilt.edu | lab.vanderbilt.edu/bordenstein with informal inquires or a single pdf containing your statement of interest, CV, and two first author publications. Experience in Drosophila is preferred.
Biological Sciences & Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology | |
Despite nearly sixty years of study, the microbial genetic and mechanistic bases of how Wolbachia cause sex-specific lethality in their hosts remain largely unresolved, and the rising interest in deploying Wolbachia for human benefit necessitates an explanation of this cunning bacteria's enigmatic effects on host biology. The proposed research will advance, for the first time, a fundamental understanding of the wmk gene product and its molecular interactions. In addition, knowledge on the essential wmk regions and host target DNA/interactors will inform downstream consideration of how a male-killing toxin could be deployed in the long term to suppress or eradicate populations of arthropod pests and disease vectors. |
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Contact Seth Bordenstein at s.bordenstein@vanderbilt.edu | lab.vanderbilt.edu/bordenstein with informal inquires or a single pdf containing your statement of interest, CV, and two first author publications. Experience in Drosophila is preferred. |
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Seth Bordenstein : s.bordenstein@vanderbilt.edu |
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2020-09-24 16:33:37 |