The Hendry lab at Cornell University is recruiting Ph.D. students to study host-microbe interactions. Specific research projects are flexible and dependent on the student’s interest.
The Hendry lab uses comparative genomics, molecular evolutionary analysis, and ecological studies to understand bacteria-host interactions in a variety of systems. Much of the current work in the lab is focused on the interaction of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and hemipteran insects such as aphids. P. syringae is a common plant-associated bacterium and is also frequently found in numerous other habitats such as in precipitation and lakes and rivers. In addition to occupying diverse environmental niches, these bacteria can infect and kill a number of hemipteran insects. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying this interaction, as well as the evolutionary and ecological outcomes for both the bacteria and insects, and the ecological and population dynamics of these partners in complex interspecific interactions and across habitats. Other ongoing projects include understanding genome reduction and the evolution of obligate host dependence in the luminous symbionts of marine fish, and investigating transmission and function of insect microbiomes. For more information, see the lab website (https://micro.cornell.edu/people/tory-hendry). The lab is located in the Department of Microbiology and interacts with researchers across Cornell, particularly those working on symbiosis, insect-microbe interactions, and plant-pathogen interactions. Cornell has a vibrant and diverse community of researchers in the biological sciences, with particular strengths in microbiology, insect-microbe and insect-plant interactions, and host-microbe interactions more generally. Interested applicants can consider applying to the lab through the graduate fields of Microbiology (https://micro.cornell.edu/academics/graduate) or Entomology (https://entomology.cals.cornell.edu/graduate). Please email Dr. Hendry (th...@cornell.edu) for more information or to discuss research ideas!
