Fwd: Graduate position: UGeorgia.MarineMicrobiomes_eDNA

[Ellen Hostert]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <evo...@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca>
Date: Thu, Nov 23, 2023 at 1:57 AM
Subject: Graduate position: UGeorgia.MarineMicrobiomes_eDNA
To: <ehos...@maine.edu>

The Bik Lab at the University of Georgia is recruiting three PhD
students for entry in Fall 2024. Each position has at least three
years of guaranteed funding through multiple National Science
Foundation grants (including an NSF CAREER award). PI Holly
Bik has a joint appointment between the Department of Marine
Sciences and the Institute of Bioinformatics, and prospective
PhD applicants can join the lab through either program (Marine
Sciences: https://www.marsci.uga.edu/phd-marine-science, IOB:
https://iob.uga.edu/masters-phd/). Further information about the Bik Lab,
including recent publications and general research areas can be found at:
https://www.biklab.org. The three available PhD projects are as follows:

1) Antarctic marine nematode taxonomy and phylogenomics. This project will
evaluate evolutionary relationships between Antarctic meiofauna and marine
nematode fauna in other ocean basins, with an emphasis on comparisons
between deep-sea vs. shallow-water phylogenetic lineages. Work will
use integrated morphological and molecular techniques (DNA barcoding,
-Omics sequencing) to identify putatively cosmopolitan nematode taxa,
endemic Antarctic lineages, and cryptic species complexes. Prospective
applicants should have a Master’s degree in Nematology or equivalent
practical experience with microscopy identifications of free-living
marine nematodes. International applicants with nematode taxonomy skills
are especially encouraged to apply.

2) Advancing eDNA metabarcoding surveys of marine ecosystems. This
project will involve work with two interdisciplinary teams focused on
the development of autonomous underwater platforms for eDNA surveys,
focused on pelagic and benthic sampling, respectively. The PhD student
will participate in ship-based fieldwork along the MA and CA coasts,
using eDNA sampling to test hypotheses about pelagic food webs and
benthic microbial responses to low oxygen concentrations. Prospective
applicants should have research interests in the areas of environmental
metabarcoding (16S/18S rRNA or other loci), molecular ecology, and
bioinformatic data analysis.

3) Functional characterization of nematode-associated microbiomes. This
project will evaluate the ecological roles of nematode-associated
bacterial symbionts, including their putative contributions to
global biogeochemical cycling (of Carbon, Nitrogen, Sulfur) and host
fitness (e.g. antimicrobial properties or protection against sulfide
toxicity). Prospective applicants should have research interests in
the areas of microbial metagenomics, bioinformatic analysis, and/or
classical microbiology (isolation and culturing protocols, FISH and
confocal microscopy, etc.).

Interested applications should email their current CV and a brief
statement of research interests (e.g. one paragraph in an email describing
their interest in the Bik Lab) to hb...@uga.edu. Prospective PhD applicants
whose skills and interests are a good fit with the lab will be invited
to a follow-up Zoom call to discuss potential projects in more detail
with PI Holly Bik.

Any interested student who is facing financial hardship with graduate
program application fees should contact PI Holly Bik for information
about fee waivers. Please do not let the financial hurdle prevent you
from applying to a graduate position in the Bik Lab – we can help
find a solution, do not be hesitant to ask. The Bik Lab mentoring
philosophy and training/mentoring portfolio can also be found here:
https://www.biklab.org/join-the-lab

All UGA graduate program applications are due by December 31, 2023 to
ensure full consideration for the above PhD positions.

Holly Bik
Associate Professor
Department of Marine Sciences
and Institute of Bioinformatics
University of Georgia
325 Sanford Drive
Athens, GA 30602

Email: hb...@uga.edu

Lab: https://www.biklab.org/ <http://biklab.github.io/>
Personal: https://www.hollybik.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hollybik


Holly M Bik <hb...@uga.edu>

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Ellen E. Hostert, Ph.D. (she/her)
Professor of Biology
University of Maine at Machias
116 O'Brien Avenue
Machias, ME 04654
(207) 255-1301
ehos...@maine.edu