Postdoctoral and technician positions are available in the Zanne lab at George Washington University in Washington, DC, beginning August 2012, with the potential to begin fieldwork near St. Louis, MO in June 2012. Support is available for multiple years for the postdoc and a single year for the technician to participate in an NSF-funded project, which examines the influences of plant traits and fungal community composition on wood decomposition rates in the Ozark Highlands Ecoregion as climate changes. Potential additional field sites include Appalachians, USA and NSW, Australia. The postdoc will be responsible for fungal identification, using both traditional techniques (field collection and culturing) and molecular methods (targeted sequencing, environmental DNA extraction and next-generation based metagenomics) with encouragement to further develop the project according to his/her own interests. Opportunities will be available to spend time in collaborating labs that specialize on fungal identification, enzyme analysis and genomics. The technician will work closely with the postdoc and help to establish the lab. In both cities, there are strong links among institutions, including ties to the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian. George Washington University is located in the heart of DC, with easy access to numerous science-, conservation-, and policy-based institutions. Motivated applicants with skills in mycology, molecular biology, phylogenetics, and bioinformatics are especially encouraged to apply. Postdoc applicants should have a PhD in a relevant field and strong writing and quantitative skills. Technician applicants with an MSc in a relevant field are preferred but Bachelors applicants will be considered. Applications will be reviewed as received and the positions remain open until filled. Applications should include a research statement, including relevant skills for the project and future goals, for the postdoc (1-2 pages) and research interests and relevant skills for the project (1 page) for the technician, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references (including emails and phone numbers). Materials should be sent to Amy Zanne: aeza...@gmail.com.
