The Platt lab at Kansas State University is recruiting PhD or MS graduate students interested in the evolution and population dynamics of bacterial pathogens. Our current research projects focus on the evolution and ecology of cooperative pathogenesis, the impact of quorum sensing and plasmid dynamics on bacterial competition, and interspecific interactions occurring within rhizosphere microbiomes. We integrate theoretical and quantitative ecology and evolution with microbial genetics using the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Funds are available for partial support of a Graduate Research Assistant working on an NSF-funded grant to develop a high-throughput platform to identify interactions within microbiomes. Please visit www.platt-lab.com for more information about our work and current projects.
Our lab is in KSU’s Division of Biology (http://www.k- state.edu/biology/), which houses the Ecological Genomics Institute (http://www.k-state.edu/biology/interdisciplinary/egi.html) and the Konza Prairie Biological Station (http://www.k- state.edu/biology/interdisciplinary/konza.html). For information about graduate studies at KSU’s Division of Biology please visit: http://www.k- state.edu/biology/grad/index.html. We offer competitive research assistantships and fellowships that cover stipend, tuition, and medical insurance. Kansas State University is in Manhattan, Kansas in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. The town offers excellent schools, parks, and a college town atmosphere. The surrounding area features many outdoor opportunities including the nearby Tuttle Creek State Park and Konza Prairie, a tallgrass prairie reserve and LTER site. If interested please contact Tom Platt ([email protected]) with a brief statement of your research interests and experiences and your CV.
