SMB Digest May 27, 2015 Volume 15 Issue 21
ISSN 1086-6566
Editor: Richard Schugart richard(dot)schugart(at)gmail(dot)com
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Issue?s Topics:
Workshop: Morphological Plant Models, NIMBioS, U Tennessee
PhD Position: Monitoring of Invasive Pest..., U Leicester
Post-doc: Modelling in Synthetic Biology, U Nottingham
Post-doc: Infectious Disease Modeling, St. Jude Children?s...
Post-docs: Mathematical Biology, NIMBioS, U Tennessee
SMBnet Reminders
----------------------------------------------------
From: Catherine Crawley <ccrawley@nimbios.org>
Date: May 27, 2015 at 12:53:39 PM
Subject: Workshop: Morphological Plant Models, NIMBioS, U Tennessee
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Investigative Workshop,
"Morphological Plant Models," to be held September 2-4, 2015, at
NIMBioS.
Objectives: An increasing population faces the growing demand for
agricultural products. Accurate global climate models that account for
individual plant morphologies are needed to predict favorable human
habitat. At the heart of addressing the problems of climate change and
food security is the challenge of modeling plant morphology under field
conditions, which requires the integration of plant biology and
mathematics. An improved understanding of the mechanistic origins of
plant development requires geometric and topological descriptors to
characterize the phenotype of plants and its link to genotypes.
However, the current plant phenotyping framework relies on simple length
and diameter measurements, which fail to capture the exquisite
architecture of plants. This workshop aims to set new frontiers in
combining plant phenotyping with recent results from shape theory at the
interface of geometry and topology. We will explore the potential of new
mathematical concepts to analyze and quantify the relationship between
morphological plant features. Plant biologists and theorists will
participate in presentations and group discussions focused on developing
plant science questions that can be answered innovatively. We will
explore novel techniques, including persistent homology, graph-theory,
and shape statistics to tackle questions in crop breeding, developmental
biology, and vegetation modeling. The limitations of technological
systems to capture plant morphology above and below ground will be
discussed in order to focus on the application of existing concepts and
the need to identify new mathematical directions.
The mathematical/computational focus will be to identify current cutting
edge techniques to analyze, model, and describe plants from the cell to
the organ level and identify mathematical challenges in plant science
applications. The biological focus will be on how biologists can develop
datasets and provide perspectives to establish simple model systems that
employ favorable mathematical and technological constraints to discover
special cases for later generalization. The scientific goal is to
develop a suite of biological questions that allow participants to
jointly pioneer the use and development of geometric and topological
methods within the plant sciences. The synergy provided from uniting
these disparate disciplines will potentially fuel future collaborations
and hasten new studies and perspectives in plant phenotyping.
Location: NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Co-Organizers: Alexander Bucksch, Schools of Interactive Computing and
Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta and Dan Chitwood,
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis
For more information about the workshop and a link to the online
application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/workshops/WS_plantmorph
Participation in the workshop is by application only. Individuals with a
strong interest in the topic are encouraged to apply, and successful
applicants will be notified within two weeks of the application
deadline. If needed, financial support for travel, meals, and lodging is
available for workshop attendees.
Application deadline: June 29, 2015
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from
around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to
investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life
sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, with
additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
----------------------------------------------------
From: Petrovskiy, Sergei (Prof.) <sp237@leicester.ac.uk>
Date: May 25, 2015 at 5:01:12 PM
Subject: PhD Position: Monitoring of Invasive Pest..., U Leicester
A fully-funded PhD position is available in the Department of
Mathematics, University of Leicester, UK, under supervision of
Prof. Sergei Petrovskii.
Project title: ?Monitoring of Invasive Pest Species Under the Climate
Change: Mathematical Modelling Approach?
For a description of the project, please visit
http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/mathematics/postgraduate-study/phd/epsrc-dtp-projects-2015-16-climate-change
The position is available from October 1, 2015 or as soon as possible
thereafter. To apply, please visit
http://www2.le.ac.uk/study/research/how-to-apply
and follow the instructions there.
Please note that only EU/UK citizens are eligible to apply.
For inquiries and more details, please contact Prof. Sergei Petrovskii
at sp237@le.ac.uk
----------------------------------------------------
From: Daisy Carter <Daisy.Carter@nottingham.ac.uk>
Date: May 21, 2015 at 5:30:18 AM
Subject: Post-doc: Modelling in Synthetic Biology, U Nottingham
Vacancy Mathematical/Computational Modelling in Synthetic Biology at the
University of Nottingham.
See:
Research Associate/Fellow ? Mathematical/Computational Modelling in
Synthetic Biology
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/MED284314X2
Closing date 18 June 2015. Informal enquiries to
john.king@nottingham.ac.uk
----------------------------------------------------
From: Smith, Amber <Amber.Smith@STJUDE.ORG>
Date: May 27, 2015 at 2:32:10 PM
Subject: Post-doc: Infectious Disease Modeling, St. Jude Children?s...
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Infectious Disease Modeling
Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research
Hospital, Memphis, TN
Job Description:
The Department of Infectious Diseases is recruiting a postdoctoral
fellow interested in mathematical/computational modeling of viral
infections, bacterial infections, and host immune responses in the
laboratory of Amber Smith. The candidate will develop and analyze
dynamical models and use parameter estimation to investigate
experimental kinetic data, help develop new experiments, and generate
new hypotheses about the biology of influenza infections and
coinfections. The individual will pursue interdisciplinary research at
the boundary of mathematics and biology, with activities that include
directly working with experimentalists within the laboratory and the
department, publishing results in peer-reviewed journals, and
presenting results at conferences.
Job Qualifications:
Candidates should have a PhD in applied mathematics, mathematical
biology, computer or computational science, physics (or other related
field) with some knowledge of biology and experience in modeling and
analyzing biological data. Candidates should have strong mathematical
and statistical skills, and an interest in viral dynamics, bacterial
dynamics, and/or immunology. Preference will be given to candidates with
previous research experience in these areas, good programming skills
(e.g. MatLab, R, Python) and excellent written and oral English.
Salary & Benefits:
Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience and offered
according to St. Jude and NIH guidelines. St. Jude offers an
above-average benefits package to postdoctoral fellows including health
and dental insurance; group life insurance; liability insurance; workers
compensation; accidental death and dismemberment eligibility; short
term/long term disability eligibility; a professional development
account; paid holidays; paid vacation plus two personal days per year;
and paid sick leave.
Applications:
The position is available immediately (start date negotiable) and
applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applications
should be submitted directly to Amber Smith at amber.smith@stjude.org
For more information, contact Amber Smith (email:
amber.smith@stjude.org) or visit www.stjude.org/academic-programs
----------------------------------------------------
From: Catherine Crawley <ccrawley@nimbios.org>
Date: May 20, 2015 at 2:59:04 PM
Subject: Post-docs: Mathematical Biology, NIMBioS, U Tennessee
Call for Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications at NIMBioS
Next Deadline: September 1, 2015
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS), located at the Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, is currently
accepting applications for postdoctoral scholarship at the interface
between mathematics and biology. Highest priority will be given to those
with explicit plans to develop their ability to effectively carry on
research across these fields. We are particularly interested in requests
to support research that integrates diverse fields, requires synthesis
at multiple scales, and/or makes use of or requires development of new
mathematical/computational approaches. NIMBioS Postdoctoral Fellows are
chosen based upon indications that the applicant's research plans are
consistent with the mission of NIMBioS, the applicant has the
demonstrated ability to carry out the proposed research, and the
opportunities provided through NIMBioS will enhance the capacity for the
research to be completed in an efficient and timely manner. Support:
annual stipend of $51,000, full University of Tennessee employee fringe
benefits, and an annual travel allowance of $3,000.
How to apply: Complete the online application and submit a brief project
description, references, and CV following the guidelines available at
http://www.nimbios.org/postdocs/
Deadline: NIMBioS postdoctoral requests for support are reviewed two
times per year, and the selected researchers are offered positions at
NIMBioS where they conduct research that is mostly self-directed. The
deadline for activities beginning in summer/fall 2016 is September 1,
2015 but applications for positions starting later in 2016 are also
accepted at this time. All letters of recommendation must be submitted
before the request deadline.
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from
around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to
investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life
sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, with
additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
----------------------------------------------------
Subject: SMBnet Reminders
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