The student will conduct a genome-wide screen to identify pathogen or host genes that contribute to pathogenesis of diseases caused by enteric pathogens. The student will be engaged in all steps of the project from creation of mutant libraries to analyses of the big data that screens generate. Some experience in molecular biology is preferable.
Our lab studies the biology of Vibrio cholerae, the agent of cholera, and E. coli O157, a common cause of diarrheal disease in the USA. We are using a wide range of techniques to understand how these pathogens cause disease. We study both basic questions, such as how bacterial chromosomes replicate and segregate, and more applied issues such as development of new antibiotics and vaccines for diarrheal diseases.