Evolution and Ecology of Environmental Microbes
Research Field
Chuan Ku is an associate research fellow at Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, and an adjunct associate professor at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
We study eukaryotic microbes with critical roles in our environment on Earth and use genomics to elucidate how they originated, evolved, and are regulated during life cycles and interactions. In addition to general interests in eukaryotes, two groups we focus on are phytoplankton that account for nearly half of carbon dioxide fixation worldwide, and giant viruses with large genomes that infect various algae, amoebae, animals and other eukaryotes.
- Evolution and regulation of morphology, physiology and life cycles of microalgae (especially microalgae that calcify)
- Origins, genome diversification, and co-evolution of eukaryotes and their giant viruses
- Microalga-microbe interactions and their impacts on marine and other ecosystems
- Outstanding Teaching Award, National Taiwan University (2024)
- Global Investigator, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) (2023)
- Outstanding Young Scholar Award, Taiwan Society of Plant Biologists (2022)
- Young Scholars’ Creativity Award, Foundation for the Advancement of Outstanding Scholarship, Taiwan (2021)
- Academia Sinica Career Development Award (2020)
- Best Dissertation Award, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany (2017)
- EMBO Long-Term Fellowship for postdoctoral fellows (2016)
- Research scholarship for foreign doctorate students and young academics, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Germany (2013)
- Dr. rer. nat., Biology, University of Düsseldorf, Germany (2016)
- M.Sc., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (2011)
- B.Sc., Life Science (minor in Geosciences), National Taiwan University, Taiwan (2009)
2 Vacancies
Job Description
- Evolutionary history of giant viruses and their virus-host interactions
- Isolation and genomics of giant viruses infecting environmental microbes
Preferred Intern Education Level
- Master's degree holders or master's students looking for funded PhD positions
- Senior bachelor's students looking for funded master's positions
- Visit the lab website for more information: https://chuanku-lab.github.io/kulab/positions
Skill sets or Qualities
- English proficiency for reading, writing, and oral communication
- Strong motivation to work in a research environment
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Any of these would be a plus:
*programming or bioinformatic skills
*knowledge in evolutionary biology, genomics, ecology, microbiology, molecular biology or cell biology
*research experience in related fields
2 Vacancies
Job Description
- Morphological and physiological variation of calcifying algae from Pacific Ocean
- Population structure and dynamics of calcifying algae in Pacific Ocean
Preferred Intern Education Level
- Master's degree holders or master's students looking for funded PhD positions
- Senior bachelor's students looking for funded master's positions
- Visit the lab website for more information: https://chuanku-lab.github.io/kulab/positions
Skill sets or Qualities
- English proficiency for reading, writing, and oral communication
- Strong motivation to work in a research environment
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Any of these would be a plus:
*microalgal culturing or microscopy skills
*knowledge in evolutionary biology, genomics, ecology, microbiology, cell biology or microscopy
*research experience in related fields