A graduate student position to study the chemical ecology of marine microbes is available in Dr. Bryndan Durham’s laboratory at the University of Florida beginning the Fall 2020 semester. The Durham Lab (https://www.durham-lab.com) focuses on ecological interactions between marine phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria. One quarter of Earth’s photosynthetically-derived organic carbon is cycled between phytoplankton and bacteria in the ocean each year, and the Durham Lab is interested in defining the cellular mechanisms, genes, and metabolites that drive these globally important carbon and energy transformations. The student’s project will focus on how environmental parameters (e.g. nutrients, light) influence elemental cycling (in particular, nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon) between phytoplankton and bacteria. This project will involve a combination of microbial cultivation experiments, next-generation sequencing and metabolomics analyses, and field work. The student will acquire highly desirable skills in molecular techniques, bioinformatics approaches, and analysis of novel, high-resolution metabolomic datasets. The Durham Lab is part of the UF Biology Department and the UF Genetics Institute, both of which provide friendly and collegial environments, and the student will benefit from the opportunity to collaborate with other labs on campus that offer expertise in areas such as molecular biology, ecological network science, and global change. Interested students should send an email describing their background and research interests to Dr. Durham (b.durham@ufl.edu) prior to submitting their application to the PhD program in Biology (https://biology.ufl.edu/graduate/programs/). Applications are due on December 1, 2019.
Qualifications: Fundamental requirements include:
• A bachelor’s degree or higher in Biology, Ecology, Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Chemistry or a related field
• Strong work ethic and independence
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Although not required, the preferred candidate will have prior research experience and demonstrated scientific writing skills.
About the University: The University of Florida is ranked #7 in top public universities in the United States. Research in the biological sciences at the University of Florida is conducted by faculty in many departments, across several Colleges and Institutes, providing a rich intellectual environment and extensive opportunities for collaboration. The Biology Department interacts closely with the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Biosciences (www.whitney.ufl.edu), the Genetics Institute (ufgi.ufl.edu), the Florida Museum of Natural History (www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu), the Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research (www.biotech.ufl.edu), the High Performance Research Computer Cluster (HiPerGator, www.rc.ufl.edu), the Nature Coast Biological Station (https://ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu), the Southeast Center for Integrated Metabolomics (http://secim.ufl.edu), the UF Biodiversity Institute (https://biodiversity.institute.ufl.edu), the UF Informatics Institute (informatics.institute.ufl.edu), the Water Institute (waterinstitute.ufl.edu), and the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program (pmcb.ifas.ufl.edu). The University of Florida counts among its greatest strengths – and a major component of its excellence – that it values broad diversity in its faculty, students, and staff and creates a robust, inclusive, and welcoming climate for learning, research, and other work.
About Gainesville: Gainesville is a progressive city located in North Central Florida with a population of about 132,000. Due to the presence of the University of Florida and Santa Fe College, the city offers a great number of activities combining the best aspects of a metropolitan city with the hospitality of a college town. Gainesville affords access to numerous restaurants, microbreweries, and entertainment opportunities (museums, theatre, music, sports). Gainesville is home to the Hippodrome Theater, the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Harn Museum of Art, and the Florida’s State Museum of Natural History. Gainesville is also the perfect spot for individuals who enjoy the outdoors. The city maintains 27 parks and it is located within 50 miles of more than 40 nature settings. These settings offer a combination of camping, hiking, swimming, picnicking, boating, and fishing. Several of these areas include some of the clearest springs in the nation, providing excellent snorkeling, scuba diving and world-class cave diving. Cost of living is very affordable in Gainesville, and the yearly average temperature in the sunshine state is 70 degrees with beautiful sunsets included.
Qualifications: Fundamental requirements include:
• A bachelor’s degree or higher in Biology, Ecology, Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Chemistry or a related field
• Strong work ethic and independence
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Although not required, the preferred candidate will have prior research experience and demonstrated scientific writing skills.
About the University: The University of Florida is ranked #7 in top public universities in the United States. Research in the biological sciences at the University of Florida is conducted by faculty in many departments, across several Colleges and Institutes, providing a rich intellectual environment and extensive opportunities for collaboration. The Biology Department interacts closely with the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Biosciences (www.whitney.ufl.edu), the Genetics Institute (ufgi.ufl.edu), the Florida Museum of Natural History (www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu), the Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research (www.biotech.ufl.edu), the High Performance Research Computer Cluster (HiPerGator, www.rc.ufl.edu), the Nature Coast Biological Station (https://ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu), the Southeast Center for Integrated Metabolomics (http://secim.ufl.edu), the UF Biodiversity Institute (https://biodiversity.institute.ufl.edu), the UF Informatics Institute (informatics.institute.ufl.edu), the Water Institute (waterinstitute.ufl.edu), and the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program (pmcb.ifas.ufl.edu). The University of Florida counts among its greatest strengths – and a major component of its excellence – that it values broad diversity in its faculty, students, and staff and creates a robust, inclusive, and welcoming climate for learning, research, and other work.
About Gainesville: Gainesville is a progressive city located in North Central Florida with a population of about 132,000. Due to the presence of the University of Florida and Santa Fe College, the city offers a great number of activities combining the best aspects of a metropolitan city with the hospitality of a college town. Gainesville affords access to numerous restaurants, microbreweries, and entertainment opportunities (museums, theatre, music, sports). Gainesville is home to the Hippodrome Theater, the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Harn Museum of Art, and the Florida’s State Museum of Natural History. Gainesville is also the perfect spot for individuals who enjoy the outdoors. The city maintains 27 parks and it is located within 50 miles of more than 40 nature settings. These settings offer a combination of camping, hiking, swimming, picnicking, boating, and fishing. Several of these areas include some of the clearest springs in the nation, providing excellent snorkeling, scuba diving and world-class cave diving. Cost of living is very affordable in Gainesville, and the yearly average temperature in the sunshine state is 70 degrees with beautiful sunsets included.
