Plant Biologist Postdoctoral Fellow

Berkeley Lab’s (LBNL) Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology (EGSB) Division has an opening for a Plant Biologist Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Plant Group within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded Restoration of Soil Carbon by Precision Biological Strategies (RESTOR-C) Energy Earthshot Research Center.

In this exciting role, you will perform molecular and metabolite characterization of sorghum lines developed by the research group. Plant lines will be analyzed through genotyping by PCR, RT-PCR, metabolite profiling, determination of biomass composition, and measurement of growth parameters. This position will involve the use of fabricated ecosystems to study root phenotypes, root exudates, and soil carbon in collaboration with the other RESTOR-C research groups. The overall goal will be to select the most promising sorghum lines for future evaluation under field growth conditions. You will assist with the day-to-day lab management supporting the root engineering effort of the research team located at the Emery Station East Operations Center in Emeryville, CA and the growing of sorghum lines at the University of California (UC) Berkeley Greenhouse.

This position has an anticipated start date of March 1, 2025.

What You Will Do:

• Metabolite extraction from plant samples for HPLC and LC-MS analyses (roots and root exudates).
• Grow and phenotype sorghum plants in fabricated ecosystems.
• Plant genotyping using standard techniques of molecular biology, including extraction and manipulation of DNA and RNA, PCR, RT-PCR.
• Lignin and polysaccharide analyses of root biomass samples (Klason method, pyrolysis-GC/MS).
• Propagate sorghum plants in the greenhouse, including planting and harvesting biomass and seeds.
• Interact / share samples with researchers from Soil and Microbial Groups at RESTOR-C, as well as external collaborators.
• Maintain an accurate and detailed scientific logbook of all experiments performed. 
• Archive generated material (DNA / seeds / biomass samples), ensuring that others could duplicate results.

What is Required:

• A recent Ph.D. (within the last 1-2 years) in Plant Biology, Molecular Biology, Metabolomics, Biochemistry, or a related field.
• Experience with root phenotyping and working with plant mutants including culturing, selection, and genotyping.
• Experience in synthetic biology.
• Strong knowledge of plant metabolite analyses. 
• Strong organizational skills including experience maintaining detailed and accurate records of experiment results and analyzed data.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including experience organizing/presenting technical reports and demonstrated success in the publication of high-impact work in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills including experience conducting experiments independently and collaborating with a diverse interdisciplinary research team.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience using liquid and gas chromatography instrumentation (HPLC, GC-MS). 
• Experience with fabricated ecosystems such as EcoFABs.
• Experience with synthetic microbial communities and 16s rRNA sequencing.
• Experience writing manuscripts for publication in scientific journals. 

Notes:

• For first consideration, please apply with a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume by January 15, 2025.
• This is a full time, exempt from overtime pay (monthly paid), 2 year (benefits eligible), Postdoctoral Fellow appointment with the possibility of renewal based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds, and ongoing operational needs. You must have less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience.
• The monthly salary range for this position is $5,841 - $7,003 and is expected to start at $5,841 or above. Postdoctoral Fellow positions are represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes and are paid on a step schedule per union contract. Salaries are predetermined based on postdoctoral step rates. Each step represents one full year of completed post-Ph.D. postdoctoral and/or related research experience.
• This position is represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes.
• This position may be subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work will primarily be performed onsite at Emeryville Station East (ESE) — Bldg. 978 located at 5885 Hollis Street Emeryville, CA 94608. This position may require some travel to the University California Berkeley Greenhouse located at 1751 Walnut Street Berkeley, CA 94709.

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