Microbial Ecology Lab (Nguyen Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University · Arkansas · assistantship · posted 27 days ago
Dear Ecolog Community, 🌱 Soil Microbiome Biogeography in Northeast Arkansas! 🌾 The Microbial Ecology Lab (Nguyen Lab) in Department of Biological Sciences at Arkansas State University is looking for a motivated master’s student for Spring 2026 or Fall 2027 to investigate how the unique geological formation of Crowley’s Ridge acts as a microbial reservoir for the surrounding Mississippi Alluvial Plain (The Delta). In Northeast Arkansas (NEA), Crowley’s Ridge stands as a biological island of loess-derived hardwood forest surrounded by one of the most intensively farmed regions on Earth. This shift raises a critical question: Do the undisturbed soils of the Ridge harbor wild microbial lineages that could be used to restore the exhausted microbiomes of heavily cultivated Delta soils? This project combines rugged field sampling in NEA with high-end genomic sequencing and greenhouse trials to find out. 🎯Project Objectives: 1. Characterize the microbial community structure along a transect from undisturbed Ridge forests to intensive Delta monocultures. 2. Identify microbial taxa that are present in the Ridge but are lost in agricultural systems due to chemical and physical disturbance. 3. Evaluate the potential of wild Ridge soil inoculants to improve crop resilience and nutrient cycling in depleted Delta silt-loams. 🔬Methods: · Collect soil cores and rhizosphere samples from forest, ecotone, and field sites. · Perform amplicon sequencing to analyze microbial community composition. · Conduct greenhouse microbial transplant experiments using Ridge-derived inoculums on Arkansas cash crops. · Laboratory analyses including soil physiochemical properties, microbial activities, and bioinformatic pipelines in R. 📍Locations: · Field work across Crowley’s Ridge and the Delta. · Greenhouse trials and laboratory analyses at Department of Biological Sciences and Arkansas Bioscience Institute at Arkansas State University. 🎓Requirements/Preferred Qualifications: · Strong interest and prior experience in microbial community analysis. · Prior experience in a wet lab with an independent research project and a foundational understanding of microbiology and soil science is highly preferred. · Ability to travel for field campaigns in Northeast Arkansas. Comfort working in rugged terrain and the Delta heat (high humidity, insects, digging, carrying equipment). · Strong writing skills and a genuine interest in teaching and academic outreach. 💛Interested in uncovering the hidden microbial secrets of the Delta? 📧Reach out to me at trnguyen[at]astate.edu with your CV, a brief statement of your previous research experience, and why you are interested in this position.
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