Paul Rainey

Please refer to http://micropop.evolbio.mpg.de/ and recent publications. If you need further information on the projects after having read these, please contact Paul <rainey@evolbio.mpg.de>.

If you wish to apply for the position, please submit your application via our portal.

1. Toward understanding a complex multicellular behaviour in Pseudomonas

For the most part, the lives of bacteria remain shrouded in mystery. This stems from the fact that explorations into the behaviour of microbes are largely constrained to the agar-plate environment that typically bears little resemblance to conditions encountered in the wild. Cellulose (and related polymers) are produced by most bacteria, but studied under conditions where phenotypes are revealed only upon constitutive activation in specific mutants. In P. fluorescens SBW25, signals activating the production of cellulose via a complex array of regulatory pathways, are encountered at the air-liquid interface. Activation leads to the formation of multicellular aggregates that further cluster forming higher dimensional structures. The significance of this behaviour is unknown, but equipped with a multitude of mutants, fluorescently marked strains, and most importantly, well-developed methods in microscopy and imaging, the door is open to discovery.

We seek a curious and dedicated researcher stimulated by the possibility of learning something genuinely new that we suspect will have broad significance. The project will be challenging, will require a high-level of commitment, but stands to deliver to the curious-minded. Necessary is a background in microbial genetics, microscopy, an ability to work independently, and capacity to traverse boundaries. Interest and expertise in evolutionary biology is highly desirable, but not essential.