Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology (EGSB) Division has a Plant Microbiome Postdoctoral Fellow opening to join the Tringe Lab / Microbial Systems Group.

The Tringe Lab / Microbial Systems Group investigates host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions in microbial communities associated with the potential bioenergy crop camelina using sequence-based and other omics methods. In this exciting role, you will obtain sequence data, such as amplicon sequences, isolate genomes, and metagenomes, as well as metabolite, phenotype and biogeochemical data, from internal or external sources and analyze, integrate and interpret with a variety of standard or custom tools. Working within a collaborative team, you may also plan and execute lab work such as plant growth, microbial characterization, and molecular biology experiments. Candidates should be eager to learn and apply cutting-edge omics techniques to microbiome research.

What You Will Do:

• Identify and characterize camelina-associated microorganisms in microbial community data including ribosomal and internal transcribed spacer amplicon sequences, shotgun metagenome sequence data, and isolated genome sequences generated using Illumina, Pacific Biosciences and possibly other sequencing technologies.
• Employ internal and external software and web-based analysis tools for processing and analyzing collected data.
• Plan and execute plant-microbial community research projects in collaboration with internal and external partners, using Berkeley lab developed resources including fabricated ecosystems and exometabolomics.
• Perform follow-up experiments to confirm findings, which may include plant and microbial growth experiments, metabolite and nucleic acid extraction and preparing samples for omics characterization.
• Store and organize results for presentation and viewing by collaborators and the wider scientific community.
• Interact with internal and external collaborators to ensure efficient communication and completion of analysis projects.
• Document group analysis procedures and methods for reference.
• Write results up and present data in figures for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Present research at both internal and external forums.

What is Required:

• A recent Ph.D. in Life Sciences or a related field with some relevant research experience in both Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics.
• Strong background in Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, and Genomics.
• Experience with computational methods, databases of genomic information, and methods of analysis of biological sequence data such as the Integrated Microbial Genomes database, the R software suite and QIIME amplicon analysis software.
• Experience using PC, Mac and/or UNIX operating systems.
• Experience with basic laboratory techniques, such as nucleic acid isolation, library prep, protocol optimization, bacterial growth assays, and sterile technique.
• Strong organizational and record keeping skills to record experimental results and analyze data.
• Effective oral and written communication skills to present findings at group meetings and conferences, and to publish results.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills including the ability to collaborate with a diverse technical and scientific interdisciplinary research team.

What We Prefer:

• Background in Plant Biology and/or host-microbe interactions.
• Experience with metabolomics.

For full consideration, please apply with the following application materials:

• Cover Letter - Describe your interest in this position and the relevance of your background.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume.

Notes:

• This is a full time, exempt from overtime pay (monthly paid), 2 year 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 $4636 - $5995 and is expected to start at $5011 or above. Postdoctoral positions are paid on a step schedule per union contract and salaries will be 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 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.
• This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule - a combination of teleworking and performing work on site at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. Work schedules are dependent on business needs. Individuals working a hybrid schedule must reside within 150 miles of Berkeley Lab.

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Berkeley Lab (LBNL) addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 16 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

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