The Gardner Lab in the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering (EWRE) program at The University of Texas at Austin invites applications for 1-2 fully funded PhD student positions beginning Spring 2027. Exceptional MS candidates will also be considered.
The successful candidate(s) will join an NSF-funded project investigating engineered RNA interference (RNAi) constructs as emerging environmental contaminants. RNAi biotechnologies are increasingly deployed for environmental applications, including hundreds of millions of acres of cropland, yet their capacity to disrupt non-target soil and microbiome function remains poorly understood. This project combines molecular microbiology, environmental fate and transport, transcriptomics, and machine learning to build predictive, mechanistic frameworks for RNAi-microbiome interactions and to inform safety-by-design principles for next-generation RNA biotechnologies. Graduate student(s) will ultimately help establish new paradigms in environmental RNAi research.
Research Responsibilities
The student(s) will contribute to one or more of the following research areas:
-Quantifying dose-dependent effects of RNAi exposure on microbial growth kinetics and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance
-Investigating cellular-level mechanisms of RNAi-induced dysbiosis, including redox stress, membrane integrity, and efflux pump activity
-Characterizing primary (sequence-specific) and secondary (stress-response) transcriptomic effects of RNAi exposure using RNA-seq and targeted qRT-PCR assays
-Developing and applying machine learning models to link RNA sequence/structural features to microbial and community-level outcomes
Qualifications
-B.S. or M.S. in environmental engineering, microbiology, molecular biology, bioengineering, or a related field
-Laboratory experience in one or more of the following is highly desirable: environmental microbiology, molecular biology/genomics (e.g., 16S sequencing, RNA-seq, qRT-PCR), synthetic biology, or computational/bioinformatics methods (e.g., R, Python, machine learning)
-Strong written and oral communication skills
-Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team
-Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary work spanning molecular biology, environmental engineering, and data science
About the Lab and Program
The Gardner Lab is part of the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering (EWRE) program at UT Austin, a top-ranked graduate program with strong ties to microbiology, environmental chemistry, and data science research groups across campus. Beyond the lab, students will join a vibrant graduate community in Austin, a fast-growing hub for tech, biotech, and outdoor recreation consistently ranked among the best U.S. cities for young professionals and graduate students. Students enjoy access to nearby Lady Bird Lake and Barton Springs for swimming and paddling, an extensive greenbelt and hike-and-bike trail system, a renowned live music and food scene, and a large, collaborative graduate student population across UT Austin’s engineering, natural sciences, and biotech programs. The city’s growing biotech and environmental consulting sector also offers strong networking opportunities during and after graduate years.
Application Instructions
Applicants should first review UT Austin’s Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering graduate admissions requirements and apply through the department’s online system: caee.utexas.edu/academics/graduate/admissions. Applications for the Spring 2027 cycle are due September 1.
In addition to the formal graduate application, interested applicants are encouraged to email Dr. Gardner (courtney.gardner@austin.utexas.edu) with a brief cover letter describing research interests and relevant experience, a CV/resume, and contact information for two to three references. Please use the subject line “Gardner Lab PhD App - [Last Name]” when emailing.