Master’s and PhD Positions Available to Study the Interplay Between Legionella pneumophila and the Microbiome of Water Systems.

One Master’s and one PhD positions are available at McGill University, Macdonald Campus. The students will work with Dr. Sebastien Faucher in collaboration with Dr. Michèle Prévost (École Polytechnique), Cécile Tremblay (U. Montréal) and Jacques Corbeil (U. Laval). This project is funded by the FRQNT.

Legionella pneumophila (Lp) is an aquatic bacterium that thrives in natural and artificial water systems, such as cooling towers and water distribution networks. Lp can be aerosolized by such systems and transmitted to humans. After inhalation, the bacterium reaches the lungs and causes a pneumonia called Legionnaire’s disease. In water systems, Lp is found associated with biofilms and grows inside phagocytic protozoans, such as amoeba and ciliates. The goal of this project is to evaluate the relationship between Lp and the microbiome of water systems and to identify the properties of the microbiome that support the growth of Lp. For this project, the students will use high-throughput screening procedures and next-gen sequencing (Illumina Hi-Seq).

Interested applicants should hold a BSc degree in microbiology or related field. Experience in molecular biology and/or bioinformatics is considered an asset. Start date: fall 2015 or winter 2016.

Please send a detailed CV, university transcripts and contact information of 2 references to:

Sebastien P. Faucher (see contact info on the right).