Postdoc postion at Auburn University-
I have a 12 month postdoc position to use molecular tools to work on
annelid phylogeny. In particular, the position will focus on
Ophryotrocha and other Dorvilleids living in sulphide rich
environments. This is part of a project funded by the US National
Science Foundation in collaboration with Lisa Levin of Scripps
Institute of Oceanography. There will be opportunities to expand the
scope of annelid based research conducted. Ideally the successful
person will be knowledgeable in annelid morphology, taxonomy and
molecular phylogenetics. However, all are encouraged to apply as the
pool of people familiar with all these areas is quite limited. The
position is available to be filled as soon as possible.
If you are interested email me. Please include a CV.
I have attached the grant abstract below.
Collaborative Research:
Metazoan Life at Extreme Sulfide Concentrations:
The Ecology and Evolution of Dorvilleidae at Methane Seeps
Project Summary
Millimolar H2S concentrations and the near absence of oxygen make
methane seep
sediments one of the most toxic environments on earth, yet metazoan
assemblages persist in
such settings. In microbial-mat covered seeps on the upper slopes of
the Pacific Northwest,
these assemblages are comprised nearly exclusively of dorvilleid
polychaetes. At seeps
located within the oxygen minimum zone off the Oregon and California
margins we have
identified up to 17 co-occurring dorvilleid species, including 10 in
a single genus. We
hypothesize that this annelid group, through exceptional tolerance to
low oxygen and high
sulfide concentrations, has found a suite of niches which it alone
has been able to exploit,
and as a result has experienced evolutionary release in the absence
of predators and
competitors. Here we propose to use this dorvilleid assemblage as a
model system with
which to investigate how metazoan communities evolve in and adapt to
extreme sulfide
conditions. Integrated studies of the geochemical environment with
dorvilleid ecology and
physiology will address mechanisms of niche partitioning and explore
how communities are
organized under conditions of extreme sulfide stress. Coordinated
studies will be made of
oxygen and sulfide concentration in sediments, dorvilleid species
distributions, reproductive
biology, and isotope- and molecular-based diet analyses. We will
conduct species-level
physiological tests of sulfide tolerance and thiotrophic bacterial
activity, and in situ
experiments to examine responses to sulfide gradients. Studies of
seep dorvilleid phylogeny
at several hierarchical levels will determine the evolutionary
capabilities of these metazoans
to adapt to an extreme environment. By mapping ecological features
onto a phylogenetic
framework, we will identify correlations among ecology, physiology,
life history and
evolutionary history that help elucidate the mechanisms of speciation
under extreme stress.
We anticipate that dorvilleid polychaetes will ultimately provide a
superb metazoan model
for integrated extremophile research.
Broader Impacts:
This groundbreaking research on how metazoans adapt and survive in
extreme
sulfidic environments will further understanding of both early
metazoan evolution and the
limits at which complex life can survive on this planet (and perhaps
elsewhere). This
multidisciplinary project will introduce undergraduate, graduate and
postdoctoral students
and new faculty to other disciplines within biology by blending
original methods and
questions in physiology, ecology, molecular biology and phylogeny.
Students will gain
experience at sea and share in the process of discovery. New
partnerships will be
established among 4 universities and 5 PIs, most of whom have not
worked together
previously. Results will be highlighted in a broad range of
undergraduate and graduate
courses. The project involves several young academicians and a
hearing-disabled graduate
student in the field of deep-sea biology as well as undergraduates
recruited through diversity
programs. A partnership facilitated by California COSEE (Center for
Ocean Science
Education Excellence) will allow us to pursue a rigorous education
and outreach effort.
Emerging findings will be incorporated as part of a current NSF-
funded Sea Floor Science
project (ISE #0229063) at the Ocean Institute.
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Kenneth M. Halanych
Marine Biology Coordinator
Life Sciences Department
Rouse 101
Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/science_math/biology/faculty/halanych/
index.html
http://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/khalanych/kmhpage.html
Phone: (334)-844-3222
Ken's Fax: (334)-844-2333
Biology Fax (334)-844-1645
e-mail: ken at auburn.edu
Friday Harbor Evolution of Developmental Mechanisms Class 2001
http://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/khalanych/evodevo2001/index.html
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