The Foster lab in the Department of Zoology of the University of Oxford is offering a 3-year Postdoctoral Research position (with the possibility of extension) to study the ecology of the gut microbiome. The goal is to understand how gut bacteria interact and what makes communities stable and resistant to Salmonella Typhimurium invasion. What makes the project exciting is that the work will be informed by new theory and computational approaches from the lab that help to break down the complexity of the gut microbiome. The post is part of a dynamic, and interdisciplinary research group the lab of Professor Kevin Foster – who work on the molecular biology, ecology and evolution of bacteria, increasingly the gut microbiota.

For recent publications from the lab, see https://zoo-kfoster.zoo.ox.ac.uk /publications.

A key component of the project will be working with anaerobic gut bacteria both in vitro and the gnotobiotic mouse model. This post is then ideally suited for applicants with a PhD / DPhil with a strong experimental microbiology component, ideally involving experience of anaerobic culture, mouse work and Salmonella infection biology. Previous experience in ecology and evolution is an asset, but is not required for this post.