Dr. Olga Bochkareva

I’m working on the intersection of comparative genomics, algorithmic biology, and evolutionary biology to build a deep understanding of bacterial genome organization and the molecular mechanisms providing complex dynamic genotype-phenotype connections. How many genotypes are present simultaneously in a pure bacterial colony? What is responsible for the rates of genotype switching in a one cell line? What are the limitations of the classic model ‘one bacterial colony - one genome’ which is still a basis of genome assemblers? To answer these fundamental question, I established the “Bacterial genome instability’ research group. Under the confines of a single laboratory we develop computational methods and set-up experimental assays of engineered cultures to study complex genetic mechanisms leading to bacterial adaptation to dynamic environments characterized by multiple pressures: fluctuating nutrient availability, phages, host immune system etc.

2022  ESPRIT Programme (“Early Stage Programme: Research, Innovation and Training”), funding from Austrian Science Fund (FWF), total amount – 294.015€

2019 ISTplus postdoctoral fellowship, funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 754411.