An academic-year research assistant professor position in fungal biology/plant pathology is available at in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.

Job Summary

There are 11.4 million grain crop production acres in Indiana with a total value of $9.5 billion annually. Of that, 5.45 million acres are corn, 5.50 million acres are soybean, and 405,000 acres are winter wheat. Management of disease issues to sustainably improve productivity is paramount to these growers. Production of mycotoxins, (i.e. deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, aflatoxins, ochratoxin, trichothecene and zearalenone), by several fungal pathogen species present significant challenges to corn and wheat production in Indiana and throughout the U.S. Most mycotoxins remain chemically stable even through food and ethanol processing, threatening global food security and having serious health impacts on animals and livestock. Significant economic losses are being incurred by farmers due to the rejection and resultant disposal of mycotoxin-contaminated grain.

We invite applications from outstanding scientists interested in contributing to the advancement of fundamental and/or applied plant pathology in relation to mycotoxin research. The successful candidate will be responsible for development of an internationally recognized and extramurally funded research program addressing this critical issue. Key responsibilities will include assessment of mycotoxin prevalence in Indiana, identification of causal agents responsible for mycotoxin production and conducting research to develop environmentally sound, economically feasible, and sustainable mycotoxin disease management strategies for Indiana growers. The individual will lead research efforts aimed at mitigating the impact of mycotoxins and develop collaborations with crop pathologists, extension educators, and industry stakeholders to make recommendations about mycotoxin management and research goals. The overarching goal of the research program will be the creation of management plans to reduce mycotoxins in grain and tools for forecasting and mitigating its occurrence.

The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology has a diverse and creative faculty that conducts research in weed science, plant pathology, and plant biology. The department is part of a dynamic research community of scientists in the College of Agriculture and across the university. The department is primarily located in Lilly Hall on the Purdue main campus in West Lafayette, with research labs, instructional spaces and teaching labs, greenhouse complex, and plant growth facilities. Core facilities for high-throughput screening, phenotyping, genomics, bioinformatics, microscopy, NMR, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, flow cytometry, metabolomics, lipidomics and proteomics are readily available on campus. Substantial resources for field-based research are also available near campus and throughout the state.

The College

The department of Botany and Plant Pathology resides in Purdue University's College of Agriculture, which is one of the world's leading colleges of agricultural, food, life, and natural-resource sciences and is ranked third in the US and fifth in the world in the 2024 QS World University Rankings. The College is deeply committed to the three land-grant missions (teaching, research, and extension), to international activities and perspectives that span all missions, and to excellence in all we do. The College of Agriculture and the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Our leadership, faculty, staff, and students are engaged in many efforts that are consistent with this commitment. The College has 11 academic departments, 306 faculty, 2984 undergraduate students, and 690 graduate students. The College's current strategic plan can be accessed at https://ag.purdue.edu/about/strategic-plan.html.

Qualifications

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in plant pathology or a closely related field (must be satisfied by the start of the appointment). Applicants should have an established record of scholarly publications, the potential to develop an extramurally funded research program, and demonstrated collaborations across various academic disciplines and within the industry.

Application Instructions

Applications should be submitted electronically via https://careers.purdue.edu/job/Professor-Research-Assistant/35408-en_US/ and should include in a single pdf file a cover letter, a complete curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and the names and contact information for four references. Screening of applications will begin February 6, 2024, and will continue until the until a suitable candidate is identified. Address questions to the chair of the search committee, Dr. Darcy Telenko (dtelenko@purdue.edu).A background check is required for employment in this position.

Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.