PhD Positions:
We are looking for one or two PhD students to join the lab in Fall 2023. We are seeking creative, collaborative, and innovative scholars from diverse backgrounds who are broadly interested in using synthetic microbial communities to identify how microbiomes assemble and function. We use fermented food microbiomes as our primary experimental systems, but we are happy to work with a range of microbial systems, from planarian worms to plant leaves.
We have many ongoing projects that could serve as the starting point for a dissertation (please see here for more info). Students can also create brand new projects for their PhD research. In helping students find a research project, our main goal is to make sure the student is developing a project that they are passionate about and aligns with their long-term career goals. Projects can focus on basic microbiology (e.g. mechanisms of microbial interactions, how microbes evolve in multi-species communities, linking microbial traits with microbiome assembly) or applied microbiology (e.g. how to predictably manipulate microbiomes to accomplish a goal, linking microbiome diversity with fermented food quality/safety).
Our group also loves using fermented foods to teach the public about microbes, and we encourage those interested in microbial outreach and education to consider our group. Examples include our outreach website MicrobialFoods.org and various public events detailed in our Open Lab page.
Previous PhD students have gone on to do many amazing things after working in the Wolfe Lab. Examples include Esther Miller (a scientist at DermBiont), Liz Landis (a post-doc at Columbia University), and Casey Cosetta (a microbiologist at Prolacta).
If you are interested in joining our lab as a graduate student, please consider the following:
- Learn more about the graduate program in the Department of Biology.
- Application deadlines and information about Tufts graduate programs can be found here.
- Interested candidates should email Ben (benjamin.wolfe@tufts.edu) with a description of their research goals and a copy of their CV before applying to the program.
Post-doc Positions:
There are no post-doc, or technician positions available in the lab right now. If you are interested in a post-doc position and have ideas for fellowships that could support the post-doc, please reach out.
Undergraduate Research Positions:
We are always looking for motivated and curious undergraduates to join the lab. Please email Prof. Wolfe if you are interested in undergraduate research opportunities.