Research Assistant in Experimental Evolution at Harvard

Research Assistant in Experimental and Molecular Evolution Harvard University Organismic and Evolutionary Biology A laboratory technician (research assistant) position is available with Dr. Betül Kacar, Group Leader within the Edwards Laboratory at the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University. The researcher will contribute to the development of a new experimental approach that involves reconstructing ancient molecular components and observing their biological function in modern bacterial cells through experimental evolution. This will generate experimental systems consisting of viable modern-ancient […]

November 25, 2015

Podcast: Genomes, the Fossil Record and More

Our “BlueSciCon” podcast for September features a conversation with Dr. Betul Kacar titled “Genomes, the fossil record and more: Accessing the artifacts of Earth’s earliest evolutionary history“. Living organisms today can help us understand the fossil record, as the genetic sequences of life today provides a direct link to the past. Experimental evolutionary biologists like Dr. Kacar are able to study microorganisms through hundreds and thousands of generations to understand how evolutionary selection pressures are directly expressed in these populations. […]

July 7, 2015

Betul Kacar’s Work Featured by Quanta

Paleogenomics involves the study of ancient genomic histories to understand the mechanisms of evolution. Dr. Betul Kacar’s experimental evolution research involves the application of ancient protients into modern E. coli to track how the microbes adapt to these changes. Dr. Kacar’s work was recently featured in Quanta magazine and represents a critical step in understanding the processes by which life evolves. [read the article at Quanta magazine]

December 3, 2014

Wow! Signal Podcast: Cells & Planets

A new episode of the Wow! Signal Podcast features an interview with our own Betul Kacar about her astrobiological research and educational outreach. The Wow! Signal Podcast series features speculative science conversations that explore the past, present, and future of sentient beings in the universe, and this episode features discussions with Steven Dick (Library of Congress chair in astrobiology) and Betul Kacar about their own perspectives on the nature of intelligent life in the universe. Betul’s segment begins 29 minutes […]