Post Doctorate RA - Plant Systems Biology

Organization and Job ID
Job ID: 311896
Directorate: Earth & Biological Sciences
Division: Environmental Molecular Sciences
Group: Environmental Transformations & Interactions
Job Description
A Postdoctoral Research Associate position is available at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for a project focusing on elucidation of the roles of microbiome communities (endophytes) in promoting crop productivity under abiotic stresses. Using systems-biology approaches at both lab and field scales, this project aims to identify the molecular and physiological impacts of the bio-inoculants on the host plant in responding to nutrient and water limitation, and determine if bio-inoculants not only increase plant nutrient stores but also "prime" plants for tolerance and resilience to abiotic stresses. Qualified candidates will have prior experience in studying plant molecular physiology under environmental perturbations, and expertise in molecular biology techniques including multi-omics and high-throughput data analysis. Additional requirements include excellent oral and written communication skills; solid publications record in the scientific field described above, ability to collaborate effectively in teams, and creative/innovative thinking. The work will be performed at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a DOE national scientific user facility, located at PNNL.
The candidate will join a highly collaborative environment and project team with diverse expertise, and will have the opportunity to learn and apply cutting-edge multi-omics (in whole tissue and single-cell type levels) and imaging technologies as well as bioinformatics approaches developed in EMSL-PNNL to study important science questions in the area of plant-microbe interactions.
The appointment will be for 3 years starting as soon as possible.
Minimum Qualifications
Candidates must have received a PhD within the past five years (60 months) or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.
Preferred Qualifications
The qualified candidate will have experience in the design and execution of studies dealing with plant molecular physiology using phenotyping, omics (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics), and data integration and interpretation. Prior working experience on poplar (or similar woody bioenergy crops), plant-microbe interactions, imaging (microscopy and chemical imaging), and field works (measurement of plant physiological parameters and sample collections) is desired. Direct working experiences with plant microbiome will be ideal but not required. Experience in bioinformatics, computer science, and/or gene functional analysis is also a plus. An emphasis will be placed on candidates with excellent organizational skills who have demonstrated themselves to be highly motivated, independent and creative problem solvers in their research area.
The candidate will work in a multidisciplinary setting and should be able to interact and collaborate with different internal and external scientists.
A Ph.D. degree in plant biology or plant-microbe interactions or a related discipline is required.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Battelle Memorial Institute (BMI) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and supports diversity in the workplace. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital or family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. All BMI staff must be able to demonstrate the legal right to work in the United States. BMI is an E-Verify employer. Learn more at jobs.pnnl.gov.
If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via https://jobs.pnnl.gov/help.stm
Please be aware that the Department of Energy (DOE) prohibits DOE employees and contractors from having any affiliation with the foreign government of a country DOE has identified as a "country of risk" without explicit approval by DOE and Battelle. If you are offered a position at PNNL and currently have any affiliation with the government of one of these countries you will be required to disclose this information and recuse yourself of that affiliation or receive approval from DOE and Battelle prior to your first day of employment.
Directorate: Earth & Biological Sciences
Job Category: Post-Graduates and Post-Docs
Group: Environ Transform & Interact
Opening Date: 2021-03-31
Closing Date: 2021-05-10