A postdoctoral position at Washington University in St. Louis is available for a motivated individual interested in host-virus interactions in both C. elegans and mammalian hosts. The overall focus of the project is to use the C. elegans model to identify evolutionarily conserved host factors required for virus infection or the host antiviral response. This builds upon our previous discovery of Orsay virus, the first and to date only virus that naturally infects C. elegans (Felix et al, PLoS Biology 2011). By forward and reverse genetic screening, we have identified multiple genes required for Orsay infection (Jiang et al, mBio 2017; Le Pen et al, Nat Struct Mol Bio 2018; Jiang et al eLIFE 2019, Jiang et al, PNAS, 2020, Cubillas et al, JV, 2023). The human orthologs of these genes function similarly in cell culture against pathogenic mammalian viruses. The position will entail experimental studies in both C. elegans and mammalian contexts, providing an ideal opportunity to acquire broad skills diverse systems.

If interested, please send CV, brief statement of interests, and contact information of 3 references to davewang@wustl.edu.