National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, MD and surrounding area

The Emiola lab at the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is looking for a postdoctoral fellow interested in understanding how microbes interact in their ecosystem, contribute to diseases, and how they suppress the growth of competitors through the secretion of antimicrobials. We aim to use information on the microbiome to predict disease and outcomes, as well as developing ways to modulate it to improve human health. We are looking for a highly motivated individual to work on a multi-institutional antimicrobial discovery platform to target specific pathogens while preserving beneficial commensals.
Dysbiosis in the human microbiome has been associated with several diseases. In other words, certain microbes have been found to be depleted or enriched in disease conditions. While antibiotics can be used to eliminate so-called ‘detrimental’ microbes, it usually results in depopulation of beneficial microbes. The holy grail of microbiome therapeutics is to specifically target an organism of interest while preserving majority of the microbiome. The successful candidate will employ microbiology, molecular biology, metagenomics and bioinformatics strategies to investigate prodrug strategies aimed at developing taxa-specific inhibitors of target microbes.

Requirements:

• Ph.D. degree in biological sciences, life sciences, or a related field.
• Strong background and laboratory experience in microbiology/molecular biology.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Proficiency working in Unix/Linux and HPC environments is desirable, but not essential.
• Experience working with bacteriophages is desirable, but not essential.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, CV, and contact details of 3 references to akintunde.emiola@nih.gov .

The NIH is dedicated to building a community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.