The Ibberson Lab in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Tennessee is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar interested in understanding mechanisms of microbe-microbe interactions and the drivers of chronic infection. Research in our lab uses cutting edge computational techniques and wet-lab approaches in the context of dynamic polymicrobial infection environments.

We have funding for a postdoc to study the underlying “rules” that govern microbe-microbe metabolic interactions in host-associated environments and the spatial constraints of these interactions. Completion of these projects will involve confocal microscopy, animal infection models, bacterial genetics, and bioinformatics of sequencing and microscopy data, and applicants with experience in these areas are particularly encouraged to apply. Postdoctoral scholars are encouraged to apply for independent funding to pursue this project and projects of their own design.

This is a grant-funded position and contingent on the continued funding of the grant.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Doctoral degree (PhD or MD/PhD) in Microbiology, Biological Sciences, or related field

• Experience:

  • Experience in aseptic and microbiological techniques, including bacterial culturing

  • Experience working with molecular techniques (i.e. PCR cloning and deletion of genes)

  • Experience in confocal microscopy

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Knowledge in working with bacteria and cloning and mutation of genes of interest

  • Knowledge in bioinformatic analysis of sequencing data

  • Quantitative skills in statistical analysis

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Doctoral degree (PhD or MD/PhD) in Microbiology, Biological Sciences, or related field

• Experience:

  • Experience with murine infection models of bacterial pathogenesis

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Highly motivated and has the ability to work both independently and as part of a team

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• Anticipated hiring range: $62,000 - $70,000
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• CV
• Cover Letter detailing your research interests and why you’re applying to this opportunity

About The Department

The Ibberson Lab is housed in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Tennessee. Our faculty (http://micro.utk.edu/) have broad interests in microbial pathogenesis and microbial ecology. Candidates with experimental approaches that complement or strengthen any of these areas will be given full consideration. The Department of Microbiology is an active participant and leader in the Community of Scholars on Immunology and Inflammation (CoSI2), Community of Scholars on Microbial Consortia (CoSMiC), and Biomembranes Community of Scholars at UTK, which brings together engineering, chemistry, veterinary, and material sciences, UT Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), and the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) in Knoxville.

Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Perform laboratory experiments to characterize molecular mechanisms of microbe-microbe interaction
• Perform animal experiments with polymicrobial infection models
• Confocal microscopy to determine microbial community spatial structure with live-imaging and fluorescence in situ hybridization approaches
• Bacterial genetic screens including transposon insertion sequencing
• Metagenomics and metatranscriptomics in microbial communities
• Computational analysis of sequencing and imaging datasets
• Analyze and summarize experimental data
• Delivery of written and oral reports
• Preparation and publication of manuscripts