Help me fill this space!

Undergraduate research opportunities are available in my lab.  Please contact me for details.

To Prospective Graduate Students:

** Look for future opportunities within the mBiome cohort, focused on manipulating microbiomes across the agricultural chain: 
​https://www.huck.psu.edu/content/research/microbiome-center/student-resources
​
​*** Note that I have interviewed all candidates under consideration for Fall 2018.

In your graduate research, you will use a variety of techniques from molecular biology, soil science, and ecology, often with a heavy focus on high-throughput sequencing, to address questions related to the targeted and inadvertent modification of plant-associated microbiomes.  You should expect to learn new skills from other fields, but should already have a strong background in at least one of the following areas: ecology, molecular biology, soil science, and/or plant-microbe interactions.  You will need to develop a variety of computing skills, but prior experience with computer science is not required.

My aim is to help my students reach their career goals, whatever those may be.  You should expect to gain experience in data analysis, manuscript preparation, grant writing, oral presentation, and other skills that are relevant to your program and preparation.  We will meet periodically to discuss progress towards your career goals.

I am specifically looking for students with interests in one of two project areas:

1. Selection of soil microbial strains and/or assemblages for increased invasion potential, or of soil microbial assemblages for increased resistance to invasion.
2. Robustness of plant recruitment of root-associated microbiomes in the presence of:

• shifts in the relative abundance of available soil microorganisms;
• additional sources of microbial inoculum;
• AND/OR abiotic disturbance gradients;

 
We will work with plants and microbial assemblages appropriate to the questions asked, but will seek to embed these questions within applied agriculturally-based projects.

Interested students can e-mail me at thb15@psu.edu.  Please include:
- a CV
- an explanation of your interest in my lab or one of these projects 

Please note that I'm unlikely to respond to obvious form letters.  I am looking for students with genuine interest in my areas of focus.