A postdoctoral position is available on August 1, 2024 in the Venturelli Lab. The Venturelli Lab aims to understand how interactions across genetic, molecular and ecological scales combine to generate microbial community behaviors. We seek to understand and engineer the spatiotemporal behaviors of biological networks using tools from systems and synthetic biology. A major goal is to design novel strategies to precisely shift microbiomes to desired metabolic states. Our research combines multiplexed measurements of single cells, populations and ecosystems with concepts from nonlinear dynamical systems, control theory, multi-objective optimization and machine learning.

The specific project aims to understand how gene regulatory networks distributed among human gut bacteria interact to influence production of health-relevant metabolites and human gut pathogens. The project will combine advanced techniques in machine learning, synthetic biology and genetic engineering of human gut bacteria, transcriptional profiling and high-throughput anaerobic culturing.

Qualifications include a PhD in biology or engineering. The idea candidate will have experience with machine learning, microbiology techniques and genetic manipulation of diverse bacteria. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to lead independent research projects, publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals, participate and present in scientific conferences, and engage in collaborations both within and outside the lab. The training environment of the Venturelli group is highly interdisciplinary and provides many opportunities for future careers in academic and industry. Interested candidates should send their CV, description of research goals and names of reference writers to Dr. Ophelia Venturelli (Ophelia.venturelli@gmail.com).

Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.