A postdoctoral position is available to join a research group studying the association of plants and

arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi. AM fungi are mutualistic endosymbionts of plants; their hyphae

inhabit the root cortex and the soil, and within these widely differing environments they interact with

complex microbial communities. Pofiling studies revealed that microbial communities tightly associated

with extraradical hyphal surfaces are conserved (at higher taxonomic rank) across fungal species and

soils (1). This project will investigate the influence of plant species and genotype on community

composition, use high-resolution spatial mapping to map the spatial structure of hyphal microbe

communities, and analyze community functions.

Literature Cited.

(1) Emmett, B.D., Lévesque-Tremblay, V. & Harrison, M.J. Conserved and reproducible bacterial communities

associate with extraradical hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. ISME J 15, 2276–2288

(2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-021-00920-2 

To Apply: Applicants should submit a CV, names of three references and a statement of research

interests and relevant experience to Maria J. Harrison, (mjh78@cornell.edu). 

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in plant-microbiomes, microbial genomics or microbiology;

a strong publication record and demonstrated expertise with sequence-based microbial community

analyses, or analyses of microbiome functions. Experience with microbial biochemistry is advantageous.