Project description
 
Global food loss and waste has been identified by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO) as an issue of major public concern. Around 1/3 of the world’s food goes to waste every year, and even a small country such as Singapore has had an increase of nearly 35% in food waste over the past decade. However, there is actually immense potential to upcycle this high-value food resource via insect bioconversion: Using fast-growing insects to consume food waste and produce high-value commodities.
 
Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae are able to voraciously feed on and process food waste quickly. Mature larvae and the leftover frass are also nutrient-rich, and can be processed into animal feed as well as nutrient-rich soil supplements suitable for farming. Thus, BSFs are an attractive solution for efficient organic waste management via bioconversion. BSFs could present a sustainable solution to Singapore’s crisis of food waste and security, yet there is a paucity of essential information on how we can optimize.
 
The PhD student will quantify and test bioconversion efficiency using various waste streams at NUS BSF facility. In addition, he/she/they will investigate the feasibility of industrializing BSFs in collaboration with a local industrial food waste company.
 
Requirements

• Minimum Degree in biology, environmental science or a related field
• Keen on working with and maintaining insects for research purposes. Fieldwork experience is desirable but absence is not a preclusion.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and communicate with people with and without a science background.
• Statistical background as well as proficiency in R programming and Python are preferred.
• Written and verbal competency in English

 
Application details
 
Apply via http://www.dbs.nus.edu.sg/education/prospective-graduate-students.html

• Deadline for application is 30th June 2020
• Applicants should be ready to start by January 2021

 
The Reproductive Evolution Lab at NUS is led by Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy.

​Lab Attendant (Part-time) for Reproductive Evolution Lab, Department of Biological Sciences,  NUS
Our insect lab is currently seeking an experienced Lab Assistant. The successful candidate will perform various tasks to support the Research Assistant, mainly in the maintenance of our lab and insectary. The individual will work collaboratively with students of the lab.

Responsibilities
·         Maintenance of live insect stock cultures
·         Cleaning of used stock cultures and work area
·         Preparation of microscopy slides for research purposes
·         Restocking of lab supplies and reagents
 
Requirements
·         Prior experience in working with insects and in the molecular lab
·         Ability to work independently
·         Good communication and organization skills
·         Conscientious and responsible
·         4 – 8 working hours per week (flexible)
·         Able to commit at least 6 months
·         Pay is dependent on candidate experience ($6-7/hr)
 
Application Details 

• Submit your CV in electronic form (MS Word or PDF file) to Nicole Lee ([email protected]) by 20 Oct 2019. Include the following in the subject head: LA Application_YourName.
• Please address the above requirements in a simple cover letter.
• Shortlisted candidates will be notified for interview by November

 
The Reproductive Evolution Lab at NUS is led by Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy. 

The Beetles were featured in an episode of Channel 8's "Morning Express", a Mandarin-speaking programme. Turn on captions for English subtitles!

​Lab Attendant (Part-time) for Reproductive Evolution Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, NUS
Our insect lab is currently seeking an experienced Lab Assistant. The successful candidate will perform various tasks to support the Research Assistant, mainly in the maintenance of our lab and insectary. The individual will work collaboratively with students of the lab.

Responsibilities
·         Maintenance of live insect stock cultures
·         Cleaning of used stock cultures and work area
·         Preparation of microscopy slides for research purposes
·         Restocking of lab supplies and reagents
 
Requirements
·         Prior experience in working with insects and in the molecular lab
·         Ability to work independently
·         Good communication and organization skills
·         Conscientious and responsible
·         4 – 8 working hours per week (flexible)
·         Able to commit at least 6 months
 
Application Details 

• Submit your CV in electronic form (MS Word or PDF file) to Qian Hui ([email protected]) by 19 Apr 2019. Include the following in the subject head: LA Application_YourName.
• Please address each of the above requirements in your cover letter.
• Shortlisted candidates will be notified for interview by May
• Pay is dependent on candidate experience ($6-7/hr)

 
The Reproductive Evolution Lab at NUS is led by Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy. 

Research Assistant for Reproductive Evolution Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, NUS
In our lab, we study reproductive trait divergence and its consequences for biodiversity. Why do the sexes look and behave so different? How does sexual selection on males and females facilitate speciation? We are interested in how reproductive traits respond to selection by studying the underlying genetic variation and fitness consequences associated with variation in trait expression.
We use insects as our model systems and study particularly widespread species across large geographical clines. We are looking for a full-time Research Assistant to join our lab.

Requirements and responsibilities

• Degree in biology, environmental science or a related field as well as an interest in ecology and evolution.
• Prior experience of working in a molecular lab (e.g: DNA/RNA extraction, amplification, sequencing, analysis etc.).
• Written and verbal competency in English as well as an ability to work collaboratively with many people.
• Keen on working with and maintaining insects for research purposes. Fieldwork experience is desirable but absence is not a preclusion.
• Conscientious and responsible. The job will require attention to details and day-to-day management of data, students and laboratory work, including training of new students in the lab.
• Statistical background as well as proficiency in R programming and SPSS are preferred.

Application details

• Deadline for application is 25 Feb 2019.
• The position is for 1 year (with the potential for renewal).
• Applicants should be ready to start as soon as possible or by the end of April.
• Salary will be dependent on qualifications and includes CPF contributions for Singaporeans/PR (Approx. $3000).
• If interested, submit your CV and a short write-up about why you want this job and how you could contribute to the lab. Send both in a single email to [email protected] with CC to [email protected] (include the following in the subject head: RA application Your_name).
• Short-listed applicants will be notified for an interview in early March.​

Understanding the conditions that facilitate reproductive isolation is an essential component to studying speciation. How does sexual selection on males and females facilitate speciation? In our lab, we are interested in how reproductive traits respond to selection by studying the underlying genomic variation and fitness consequences associated with variation in trait expression. We are looking for a Postdoctoral fellow to join our lab and develop bioinformatics pipelines in understanding the evolution of reproductive barriers and gene flow with the aid of next-generation ‘-omics’ tools.

Research responsibilities

• Establish bioinformatics pipelines for (i) population genomic studies and parentage analysis using double digest restriction enzyme assisted DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) as well as (ii) comparative gene expression studies of reproductive tissues using transcriptomics.
• Mentor and train students in experimental design, theoretical concepts and relevant statistical tools.
• Keep abreast of current literature and new analytical techniques.

Required qualifications

• Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolutionary Genetics, Bioinformatics or related fields;
• Experience in molecular bench work as well as bioinformatics analysis of large data sets;
• Expertise in the statistical analysis software R and knowledge of programming languages (UNIX, Python, SQL)
• Written and verbal competency in English as well as an ability to work collaboratively with many people.

Application details

• Deadline for application is 17th August 2018.
• The position is for 2.5 to 3 years (depending on start date).
• Applicants should be ready to start as soon as possible (1st October) or by the end of the year.
• Salary will be dependent on qualifications (includes CPF contributions for Singaporeans/PR).
• If interested, submit your CV, three letters of recommendation and a cover letter about why you want this job and how you could contribute to the lab. Send all in a single email to [email protected] (include the following in the subject head: PD application Your_name).
• Short-listed applicants will be notified for an interview (in person/Skype) end August/early September.

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The Reproductive Evolution Lab at NUS is led by Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy.