Feb 20, 2020
Betty Kutter at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA seeks a motivated full-time post-doc to investigate the adaptation of phage infected cells to stationary phase and anaerobic growth.
The position will focus on investigating the mechanisms that phages use to adapt to stationary phase and anaerobic growth (using Hungate bottles and established protocols) on a microbiological and molecular level for a range of classic and novel coliphages. This will involve leading undergraduates and recent graduates through isolating phages for a therapeutic bank as well as assisting in this research. An ideal applicant will already have at least some experience in working with phage, an interest in leading undergraduate research, and a background in microbiological and molecular methods.
It is clear that nearly all of the infections of host-bacteria that will occur in situ in phage therapy in medical, commercial, agricultural, and industrial contexts will happen in stationary phase cells undergoing various types of respiration or fermentation. However, nearly all of our models for understanding phage infection have been developed exclusively in infections of exponentially growing cells undergoing aerobic respiration. In this project, we will use microbiological and molecular techniques to model how therapeutic phages can be expected to adapt to these in situ contexts from a medical perspective, as well as develop evolutionary and molecular models from a basic research perspective.
This position is responsible for leading undergraduate and post-graduate research, leading the isolation and characterization of a library of therapeutic phages, and developing publishable research from the core project. With guidance from Prof. Betty Kutter, Dr. Randy Fish, and Dr. Gordon Wheat in Olympia, and in collaboration with Prof. Sam Nugen at Cornell, a successful applicant will design and execute experiments, train and supervise students and post-graduate associates, publish in international scientific journals, assist in the coordination of the 24th International Evergreen Phage Meeting, and coordinate research with a broader consortium. Our goal is to fill the position by mid-April.
The Phage-Biotics Laboratory has been performing phage research at Evergreen since 1973 under the leadership of Prof. Betty Kutter. It has been a leading figure in T4 genetics research as well as the international phage therapy community for decades and collaborates closely with colleagues in the Republic of Georgia. Since 1975 Evergreen has hosted the Biannual International Evergreen Phage Meeting.
A successful applicant will be provided with a competitive post-doc-level salary as well as access to a car for use during the duration of employment.
To apply please send a CV with cover letter to Prof. Betty Kutter [[email protected]] and Dr. Bob Blasdel [[email protected]].