Description

Job Description

Postdoctoral Positions in Microbiome, Immunology, and Bioinformatics

Opening in Fall 2025, the Translational Microbiome & Immune Tolerance Laboratory at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Center for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation (CAMRI) within the Institute of Genome Sciences (IGS) is recruiting multiple postdoctoral fellows, to join our interdisciplinary team studying the gut microbiome's role in immune tolerance development. Our lab integrates multi-omics microbiome analyses, experimental models, and clinical cohorts to uncover mechanisms by which early-life gut microbial metabolism shapes host immunity. We welcome applicants with backgrounds in computational biology, molecular microbiology, and/or basic immunology to apply for the following positions:



Qualifications

1. Bioinformatics & Data Integration

Focus: AI-powered microbiome analysis, single-cell transcriptomics, and multi-omics integration

Key areas:

§ Metagenomic and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis

§ Single-cell RNA-seq and proteomic/metabolomic data integration

§ Machine learning and AI applications in microbiome data

§ Clinical metadata harmonization across cohorts

§ Integration of clinical and multi-omic microbiome data.

§ Experience with Python/R and cloud computing preferred

Ideal candidate: A computational biologist or bioinformatician with strong programming skills and a keen interest in applying AI to biological systems-particularly in the context of clinical datasets and microbiome-driven disease mechanisms.

2. Molecular Microbiology

Focus: Microbial genetics and functional studies in non-model organisms

Key areas:

§ Anaerobic bacterial culturing and phenotyping

§ Gene knockouts and genetic manipulation in gut microbes

§ Heterologous gene expression and microbiome engineering

§ In vivo colonization and gnotobiotic models

§ Functional screening of microbial isolates

§ CRISPR tools and microbiome-based therapeutics

Ideal candidate: A microbiologist with hands-on experience in molecular genetics and microbial manipulation, excited about engineering gut microbes and dissecting their mechanistic roles in host biology.

3. Immunology & Microbe-Immune Interactions

Focus: Immune profiling and microbial regulation of host immunity

Key areas:

§ Microbiota-immune system interactions in allergy and asthma

§ Flow cytometry panel development and immune cell phenotyping

§ Single-cell transcriptomics of immune compartments

§ Cytokine assays, Treg/Th cell profiling, mucosal immunity

§ Mouse models of allergic inflammation

Ideal candidate: An immunologist with strong wet-lab experience and interest in microbiome-immunity crosstalk.

What We Offer

§ Access to clinical samples from well-characterized pediatric cohorts

§ Collaborative environment across CAMRI and IGS

§ Mentorship in academic career development

§ Cutting-edge tools in multi-omics and host-microbe systems biology/.

To apply, please send a CV, cover letter, and contact information for three references to [email protected]. In your cover letter, please indicate which position(s) you are applying for.