($2,812 per month +
Tuition waiver) Graduate Research Assistantships in Natural History Survey,
University of Illinois, United States of America
Description
The Illinois Natural
History Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking a
Graduate Research Assistant at the Master’s or Ph.D. level to work on the
phylogenomics of phytoplasmas, a group of not-yet cultured bacteria associated
with insects (vectors, primarily Hemiptera) and plants (hosts) and implicated
in plant disease.
The student will work
with Drs. Valeria Trivellone and Chris Dietrich (University of Illinois) and
Dr. Yanghui Cao (Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi, China). The focus of
this project is to uncover the true diversity of phytoplasmas worldwide,
reconstruct their evolutionary relationships, and document their associations
with insects and plants by screening a large collection of insects preserved in
a museum biorepository using modern DNA sequencing techniques.
The expected outcome will
be to resolve the deep phylogenetic structure of phytoplasmas using anchored
phylogenomics, fill gaps in knowledge of phytoplasma associations with their
insect vectors and host plants, and contribute to the development of more robust,
multi-locus methods for classifying and identifying phytoplasmas.
Requirement:
Qualifications Bachelor’s
degree in biology or related field with coursework in genetics and evolution.
Interested in or experience
working with insects and/or insect-born pathogens.
Interested in or
experience with basic molecular laboratory techniques such as DNA extractions,
DNA quantifications, and standard or qPCR. Strong time management skills and
attention to detail.
To Apply:
To be considered for this
position, please email
·
Cover letter (2 page max) that explains
how your research interests fit into the broader goals of the research group
and/or topics provided above
·
Detailed curriculum vitae (CV)
highlighting your academic achievements and research experience to Dr.
Trivellone @ [email protected] (reference “Graduate Application” in subject
line).
Deadline:
31st August 2023