Graduate student positions in plant and fungal metabolism

Two graduate student positions are available immediately in the in the laboratory of Dr. Gale Bozzo. The Bozzo lab (https://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/gbozzo) in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph is seeking two highly motivated individuals to join our lab as graduate students.  The first available position is for plant specialized metabolism, and the second position is for a project on medicinal mushrooms. See below for project descriptions:

1. Plant specialized metabolism – This project is available for those interested in MSc or PhD studies. The incumbent will investigate specialized plant metabolism processes affecting antioxidant-related events in plants, with a specific focus on flavonol catabolism. The lab investigates biochemical, biotechnological and plant production strategies aimed at altering flavonol content in plants to improve resistance to environmental stresses that are exacerbated by climate change. We are also using these tools to better understand the link between flavonol catabolism and postharvest senescence of fruits and vegetables. Students will receive training in biochemistry, comparative genomics, single molecule discovery, protein purification, analytical chemistry (e.g., HPLC), and related areas. The position is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents with a BSc or MSc in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, plant sciences or a related field.
    
2. Medicinal mushrooms – This project is available to MSc studies applicants who have a keen interest in edible mushrooms, specifically lion’s mane mushroom, and their natural products. Lion’s mane is rich in the medicinally relevant compounds erinacines and hericenones. Our lab is focused on developing genetic and cultivation-related strategies for lion’s mane mushrooms containing unique natural product profiles. This project is in partnership with our industrial sponsor, a culinary mushroom producer, and academic researchers at the University of Guelph with neuroscience expertise (Dr. M Perreault)  and in vitro plant propagation expertise (Dr. Max Jones). The incumbent will receive training in mycology, comparative genomics, analytical chemistry (e.g., HPLC-MS/MS), single molecule discovery and purification principles. The position is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents with an undergraduate degree in biology, mycology, biochemistry, analytical chemistry or a related field.

Applicants having prior laboratory experience and strong knowledge transfer skills are encouraged to apply. For each project, the incumbent student will be offered a full stipend to cover tuition and living expenses that are commensurate with graduate study at the U of G.

The preferred starting date is January 2023, but strong candidates who expect to be available in May or September 2023 are encouraged to apply.
 
For either position, interested applicants should send the following to Dr. Gale Bozzo (gbozzo@uoguelph.ca):

1.  a CV
2. unofficial academic transcripts
3. a cover letter (one page maximum) outlining why you are you are interested in the abovementioned project, and your career goals
4. names and  contact information for at least 2 referees

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.