Student assistant on microbial communities and transposon-insertion sequencing

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10%-30%, Zurich, fixed-term

The Microbial Evolutionary Dynamics unit , led by Dr. Michael Manhart , of the Theoretical Biology Group at ETH Zurich is hiring a student assistant to study the effects of microbial interactions on mutations using random-barcoded transposon insertions. Interactions between microbes, specifically in the form of cross-feeding in which cells exchange chemical nutrients, are believed to be pervasive in microbial communities, such as those in the human body, the soil, and the ocean. However, we poorly understand the effect of these interactions on the evolution of microbial communities, especially at the scale of mutations. The goal of this project is to directly measure how cross-feeding modulates the effect of mutations in a synthetic cross-feeding community.

Job description

You will work on one or more of the following tasks, depending on your qualifications and interests:

• Constructing mutant libraries in E. coli strains
• Performing competition experiments
• Preparing sequencing libraries

You will work collaboratively with your supervisor, Dr. Michael Manhart, and other members of the Theoretical Biology Group.

The workload will be set by mutual agreement with your supervisor, but it will be limited to 15 hours per week during the academic term per regulations. The duration of the position will depend on your qualifications and funding availability, although we expect an overall duration of 3-9 months. The start date is flexible, but we prefer 1 February 2022 or soon thereafter.

Your profile

You should have previous experience in wet-lab microbiology and/or molecular biology. If you are not currently enrolled as a student, please do NOT apply to this position but rather to a separately posted position for a research (not student) assistant.

ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.

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