Careers
ORISE USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Molecular Weed Science
Description of Duties
We are looking for a recent Ph.D. graduate who will be a postdoctoral research fellow at the USDA-ARS Crop Production Systems Research Unit, Stoneville, MS. The fellowship will involve collaborating with USDA-ARS scientists on research programs focusing on understanding the molecular, physiological, biochemical, and genetic basis of invasive and herbicide resistant weeds, weedy traits, and the underlying herbicide resistance mechanisms (target and non-target site). This research is a component of ARS National Programs 305 (Crop Production) and 304 (Crop Protection & Quarantine).
The successful candidate will learn about project management by being a part of research aimed at identifying critical differences between wild-type and herbicide-resistant weed biotypes, with emphasis on physiology, biochemistry, growth traits, photosynthetic capacity, adaptability, competitiveness, stress responses, and other fitness-related factors. The postdoctoral candidate will learn to characterize novel biochemical, metabolic, molecular, and transcriptomic features of aggressive, invasive weeds that impart or define “weediness” via in-depth weed genomic studies. This includes evaluating weed control, herbicide efficacy, and comparison of whole-plant physiological processes of herbicide-resistant weed populations with corresponding susceptible populations under growth chamber conditions. The fellow will help develop novel molecular herbicides to control problematic weeds in US cropping systems. The selected candidate will gain experience in laboratory, growth chamber, and greenhouse studies and establish new experiments to investigate weed control and herbicide resistance mechanisms.
The qualified candidate should have received or be pursuing a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (Plant Molecular Biology/Genomics, Plant Science/Crop Science, or a related field). Degree must have been received within the past five years or is anticipated to be received by the appointment start date.
Preferred Skills
Candidates with experience in laboratory, growth chamber, and greenhouse research will be given preference.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate in diverse and interdisciplinary teams.
Evidence of ability to conduct independent and collaborative research.
Demonstrated ability to publish research findings in peer reviewed journals.
The postdoctoral fellow will have a strong background in conducting molecular and genomic research under laboratory conditions.
Knowledge of crop production systems of major crops/weeds.
Hands-on experience conducting qPCR, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) using RNA-Seq, and RNAi approaches for weed or pest control.
Competency in the use of biological, physiological, ecological, and genetic techniques and instrumentation.
Experience in interacting and exchanging knowledge with agricultural research groups.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong statistical skills.
Strong statistical skills with R, SAS, or other statistical programs.