Mengyi
Cao
Mengyi Cao's research focuses on establishing Steinernema nematodes as an emerging genetic model to study microbial symbiosis. Steinernema spp are soil-dwelling entomopathogenic (EPN, insect-parasitic) nematodes that naturally associate with mutualistic bacteria in the genus Xenorhabdus. Cao's group mainly works with a recently isolated strain of S. hermaphroditum, which has shown to be genetically tractable. Further development of genetic tools in Steinernema nematodes will help us better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying host-microbe interactions.
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Learn more about Mengyi Cao's work by listening to this episode of Genetics in Your World.
The Cao lab is hiring a research technician to help setting up the lab and developing transgene and CRISPR-Cas9 based genome-editing tools in Steinernema.
The team will also soon recruit a postdoctoral fellow to study how symbiont modulates host nematode physiology, including immune response, neurobiology, and biochemical signaling. They encourage candidates from diverse academic backgrounds (microbiology, neurobiology, genetics, and molecular biology) to apply to this position in an emerging scientific area.
You can reach Mengyi Cao at mcao@carnegiescience.edu or mengcao@caltech.edu