Postdoctoral Research Associate - Bioenergy crop fungal disease resistance mechanisms

Organizational Overview

Researchers in the Biology Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) seek to understand and fully describe the complex mechanisms that plants use to produce oils and other bioproducts and to defend themselves from disease. We leverage the unique capabilities of Brookhaven's National Synchrotron Light Source-II, Laboratory for Biomolecular Structure (LBMS) cryo-EM/ET facility, and Center for Functional Nanomaterials, which provide state of the art facilities and techniques for bioimaging, structural and material analyses. Our research makes important contributions to fulfilling the missions of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Sciences and the DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research. As we push the envelope to accomplish our missions, we develop novel tools and techniques in biochemistry, molecular genetics, structural biology, cell biology, plant pathology and bioimaging that also benefit the broader scientific community. In addition, together with the Collider-Accelerator Department, the Biology Department manages the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory which study the effects of space radiation on both living and non-living systems.

Position Description

A postdoctoral position is available immediately at BNL Biology Department under the supervision of Dr. Nak Hyun Kim. This project is a part of the newly established Plant Immunity Research Initiative (PIRI) aimed at studying devastating diseases that threaten the bioenergy crops and designing resilient bioenergy crops and innovative mitigation strategies for the future bioeconomy protection.

The successful candidate will conduct research aimed at understanding the molecular basis of bioenergy crop fungal diseases. Initially, the study will focus on sorghum-pathogen interactions to identify virulence effectors and host resistance proteins. Then, further characterize their interactions and molecular mechanisms using state of the art facilities and techniques in genomics, biochemistry, bioimaging, molecular and cell biology available at BNL.

BNL offers engaging and collaborative research environment across plant biology, microbiology, structural biology, biophysics, chemistry and physics along with dynamic international and multicultural experiences.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintain and propagate plant and fungal materials safely according to regulations.

• Conduct plant pathogen inoculations, quantify disease and collect samples for analyses.

• Molecular cloning and vector construction for genome editing and protein expression.

• Protein expression, detection, purification and functional analyses.

• Perform transcriptome level protein-protein interaction and NGS sequencing (PROPER-seq).

• Multiscale bioimaging of various diseased plant samples of during pathogenesis.

• Document day-to-day activities in lab notes and publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and scientific meetings.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ph.D. in mycology, plant pathology, plant biology, cell biology, biochemistry or closely related field.

• Proven ability for communicating scientific findings either by publications in peer-reviewed journals or academic presentations.

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in English, both verbally and in writing.

• Self-motivated and able to work both independently and as a team.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience in NGS library preparation and data analyses.

• Bioinformatic/programming skills (MatLab, Python, R, etc).

• Experience in application of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning in data analyses.

• Experience in plant cultivation in growth chambers of green house space.

• Experience in protoplast preparation and transformation.

• Experience in protein-protein interaction studies.

• Experience in plate-based high throughput assays.

OTHER INFORMATION:

• Candidates should submit a CV, a brief description of how their research experience relates to this position (less than 200 words) in a cover letter.

• Review of applications begins immediately. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

• Initial 1-year appointment subject to annual renewal contingent on performance and funding.

• Please contact Nak Hyun Kim (nkim@bnl.gov) if you have any questions.

• BNL policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in an R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness or other life-changing events.

• Brookhaven Laboratory is committed to providing fair, equitable and competitive compensation. The salary for this position is $71,900 / year. This is a fully onsite position (non-remote) located at BNL, Upton, NY.