Undergraduate Positions
General policy: We always welcome undergraduate students to work in our lab. We have both wetlab and drylab (computational) positions. Ability to work independently is a must. Successful completion (or current enrollment) of BE123 is a plus but not always necessary. If you think you would be a good fit for out lab, you may want to contact graduate students directly (see Researchers page). In general we ask for a minimum of 1 quarter commitment with 10 hours a week. Usually this is for BE199 credit. Other options include the CalIT2 fellowship (summer only).
Specific Projects
Experimental testing of determinants of operon structure
Prokaryotic genes are sometimes co-expressed on long mRNAs. These groups of genes, called operons, often have important roles together. Recent computational analysis of operon structure has provided novel insight into how the genes group together. To validate this new hypothesis, we will be conducting experiments in which a few simple genetic modifications will be made to E. coli, followed by simple growth tests. General wet-lab experience is needed, and knowledge about prokaryotic cell culture and site-directed mutagenesis will help. This work will be a great demonstration on how computational analysis with subsequent experimental validation can provide novel insight into biological systems. Contact Nathan Lewis at natelewis at yahoo.
Predicting metabolism of new chemical compounds
The number of known small molecules is increasing rapidly. Recent studies have shown that various classes of bacteria can consume these, even new antibiotics. A method is being developed to aid in the prediction of how these metabolites are degraded. For this project, programming skills are necessary (preferably Matlab, Python, or Perl), and upper level math, statistics, or computer science are preferred. Contact Nathan Lewis at natelewis at yahoo.
