Postdoctoral designer of biological animal robots

We are seeking experienced and highly motivated postdoctoral researchers to take part in the exciting new BABot (Biological Animal roBot) project, funded by the European Innovation Council, beginning October 1st, 2023.

BABots are small animals whose nervous system is genetically reconfigured to produce novel behaviors. These creatures are intended to ultimately execute diverse tasks, such as protecting crops from pathogen invasion, clearing contaminants from soil or water, or entering the body to perform delicate clinical procedures. The BABot project will focus at this stage on the 1mm-long nematode worm, C. elegans as a pioneering BABot.

Our lab at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem will be in charge of the design and construction of new genetic and neural circuits within the C. elegans nervous system, in order to produce artificially swarming worms that perform a sequence of coordinated tasks under a strict genetic biocontainment mechanism. This work will be performed in close collaboration with our BABot consortium partners, including experts in neurobiology, synthetic biology, collective behavior, robotics, and ethics, as well as a state-of-the-art agrotech company.

Candidates should demonstrate a strong background and track record in some or all of the following areas:
Synthetic biology
C. elegans molecular biology and/or genetics
Neurobiology

In certain cases, Ph.D. applicants may also be considered.