Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate
Location: University of Florida/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education
Center, Immokalee, FL
Position description:
A postdoctoral position is available with the Soil Microbiology Lab at the
University of Florida/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in
Immokalee, FL, to examine the impact of agricultural management practices on
the soil microbiology of citrus groves. The SWFREC is located in the in the
heart of citrus and vegetable production in Florida and provides a unique
opportunity to combine scientific research with the needs of the industry.
The project, which includes greenhouse and field studies, will evaluate the
efficacy of soil microbial amendments on the improvement of tree root growth
and nutrient uptake. The project will focus on integration of microbial
community composition, soil chemistry, root metabolism, and plant growth data.
Expertise in microbial ecology, molecular methods, and bioinformatics is
required. Experience in high-throughput amplicon sequencing, qPCR, and shotgun
metagenomics is preferred.
The incumbent will develop hypotheses based on current literature, design and
conduct experiments, perform work in the laboratory, greenhouse, and field,
analyze data, and prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed
journals. The postdoctoral associate will work independently with minimal
supervision. This is a one-year position, but may be extended up to three
years, dependent on funding.
Responsibilities:
• Experimental design
• Sample collection and processing
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Review of relevant literature
• Preparation of manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals
Minimum qualifications:
• PhD in bioinformatics, environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, or
biogeochemistry
• Expertise in bioinformatics for environmental microbiology
• Experience with unix/command line
• Evidence of effective scientific writing and publication in English
Preferred qualifications: Experience in soil microbiology, experience with R
and QIIME, proficiency in programming (perl or python), experience with grant
writing
Advertised salary: $50,000 plus benefits
Open date: as early as September 1, 2017, but application review begins
immediately
Additional information: http://www.imok.ufl.edu/about-us/jobs/
Special instructions to applicants:
Interested persons should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and a list
of 3 references, including contact information, to Dr. Sarah Strauss
([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>).
Sarah Strauss, PhD
Assistant Professor, Soil Microbiology
University of Florida - IFAS
Soil and Water Sciences Department
Southwest Florida Research & Education Center
Immokalee, FL 34142
239-658-3468 (office)
239-658-3447 (lab)
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
