Postdoctoral Research Scholar
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Location: Raleigh, NC
- Job Number: 7107036
- Posting Date: Aug 2, 2022
- Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Job Description
Essential Job Duties
The primary purpose of this Postdoctoral Research Scholar position will be to lead chemostat experiments with model marine bacterioplankton (Roseobacteria, Vibrio) and non-marine model bacterium E. coli in order to obtain estimates of protein turnover and vitamin cell quota under different nutrient conditions.
This research project will be led by Dr. Ryan Paerl. His mentorship will address the Postdoc’s performance on the laboratory projects as well as the Postdoc’s own professional goals (academic position, industry position, etc.). Dr. Paerl will serve as a supportive colleague and not a micromanager. Aid and guidance will be given as needed but the Postdoc is expected to be able to perform duties with limited supervision. Dr. Paerl’s mentorship will consist of individual meetings (every two weeks to monthly – depending on needs) to discuss research results as well as professional development and career goals; lab group meetings occurring every two weeks to provide opportunities for co-mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students; and ad hoc meetings whenever necessary.
At present Dr. Paerl’s NSF-funded project [Collaborative Research: Vitamin B1 Limitation and Advantageous Use of B1-related Compounds by Marine Bacterioplankton – BLAMM / 583784] supports the employment of a Postdoctoral Research Scholar for one year. The anticipated hire date is August 1, 2022.
The Postdoctoral Research Scholar is expected to communicate results in peer-reviewed publications, meetings, and relevant conferences as appropriate. This research project is expected to result in at least one first author publication during the employment of the Postdoctoral Research Scholar, with the potential to be a co-author/contributor on at least one other publication led by others on the BLAMM project.
Inclusiveness and diversity are critical to the success of the department, the College of Sciences and the University. This Postdoctoral Research Scholar will be expected to foster an environment that is supportive and welcoming of all groups.
The primary duties for this position relate to performing bacterial chemostat experiments with varying B-vitamin supply within the Paerl lab at Jordan Hall on the NC State University main campus and analyzing data from these experiments. These duties include: 1) establishing chemostat cultures with bacterial isolates that grow on defined medium and can be vitamin limited, 2) harvesting sufficient bacterial biomass for proteomic, vitamin, and potential transcriptomic measurements in collaboration with the lab of co-PIs Scott Gifford (UNC-Chapel Hill) and Erin Bertrand (Dalhousie University), 3) performing statistical analyses of growth data as well as proteomic and vitamin quantification data from collaborators, and 4) work with Dr. Paerl on construction of a research proposal related to vitamin B1 to acquire funding for Postdoctoral Research Scholar salary support beyond one year.
Secondary duties include: 1) becoming an active and supportive member of the Paerl Lab at NCSU (attending lab meetings, group cleaning efforts, etc.), 2) engaging as an active and supportive member of the BLAMM project – e.g. sharing data, interacting/collaborating with the PhD student on the project and other components of the project (metagenomic analysis, isolate competition experiments), and 3) contributing to undergraduate (and potentially graduate) mentoring within the Paerl Lab.
Lab work and contributions to Paerl Lab activities are expected to occur Monday through Friday and require approximately 40 hours per week. Cultures sometimes are critical to monitor or sample outside of weekdays, thus work may extend into weekends. Writing and data analysis may also demand work on weekends.
A copy of your most relevant research publication would be helpful. Please upload as “Other Document (1)”.
Other Work/Responsibilities
Requirements and Preferences
Work Schedule Monday-Friday, 40 hrs/week. Occasional required work may extend into the evening/weekend.
Department Required Skills
Required skills for success in this position include:
Ability to cultivate axenic bacterial/microbial strains, chemostat/bioreactor culturing (batch culturing experience is mandatory).
General wet lab skills – including pipetting, filtration/cell harvesting, and preparation of nutrient solutions and media.
Statistical analysis skills – e.g. ANOVA and other tests useful for comparing parametric and non-parametric data belonging to treatments and controls.
Preferred Years Experience, Skills, Training, Education
A PhD in microbiology, marine microbiology, or a closely related field is necessary.
Experience with genomics, transcriptomics, and/or proteomics is ideal but not mandatory.
The primary purpose of this Postdoctoral Research Scholar position will be to lead chemostat experiments with model marine bacterioplankton (Roseobacteria, Vibrio) and non-marine model bacterium E. coli in order to obtain estimates of protein turnover and vitamin cell quota under different nutrient conditions.
This research project will be led by Dr. Ryan Paerl. His mentorship will address the Postdoc’s performance on the laboratory projects as well as the Postdoc’s own professional goals (academic position, industry position, etc.). Dr. Paerl will serve as a supportive colleague and not a micromanager. Aid and guidance will be given as needed but the Postdoc is expected to be able to perform duties with limited supervision. Dr. Paerl’s mentorship will consist of individual meetings (every two weeks to monthly – depending on needs) to discuss research results as well as professional development and career goals; lab group meetings occurring every two weeks to provide opportunities for co-mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students; and ad hoc meetings whenever necessary.
At present Dr. Paerl’s NSF-funded project [Collaborative Research: Vitamin B1 Limitation and Advantageous Use of B1-related Compounds by Marine Bacterioplankton – BLAMM / 583784] supports the employment of a Postdoctoral Research Scholar for one year. The anticipated hire date is August 1, 2022.
The Postdoctoral Research Scholar is expected to communicate results in peer-reviewed publications, meetings, and relevant conferences as appropriate. This research project is expected to result in at least one first author publication during the employment of the Postdoctoral Research Scholar, with the potential to be a co-author/contributor on at least one other publication led by others on the BLAMM project.
Inclusiveness and diversity are critical to the success of the department, the College of Sciences and the University. This Postdoctoral Research Scholar will be expected to foster an environment that is supportive and welcoming of all groups.
The primary duties for this position relate to performing bacterial chemostat experiments with varying B-vitamin supply within the Paerl lab at Jordan Hall on the NC State University main campus and analyzing data from these experiments. These duties include: 1) establishing chemostat cultures with bacterial isolates that grow on defined medium and can be vitamin limited, 2) harvesting sufficient bacterial biomass for proteomic, vitamin, and potential transcriptomic measurements in collaboration with the lab of co-PIs Scott Gifford (UNC-Chapel Hill) and Erin Bertrand (Dalhousie University), 3) performing statistical analyses of growth data as well as proteomic and vitamin quantification data from collaborators, and 4) work with Dr. Paerl on construction of a research proposal related to vitamin B1 to acquire funding for Postdoctoral Research Scholar salary support beyond one year.
Secondary duties include: 1) becoming an active and supportive member of the Paerl Lab at NCSU (attending lab meetings, group cleaning efforts, etc.), 2) engaging as an active and supportive member of the BLAMM project – e.g. sharing data, interacting/collaborating with the PhD student on the project and other components of the project (metagenomic analysis, isolate competition experiments), and 3) contributing to undergraduate (and potentially graduate) mentoring within the Paerl Lab.
Lab work and contributions to Paerl Lab activities are expected to occur Monday through Friday and require approximately 40 hours per week. Cultures sometimes are critical to monitor or sample outside of weekdays, thus work may extend into weekends. Writing and data analysis may also demand work on weekends.
A copy of your most relevant research publication would be helpful. Please upload as “Other Document (1)”.
Other Work/Responsibilities
Requirements and Preferences
Work Schedule Monday-Friday, 40 hrs/week. Occasional required work may extend into the evening/weekend.
Department Required Skills
Required skills for success in this position include:
Ability to cultivate axenic bacterial/microbial strains, chemostat/bioreactor culturing (batch culturing experience is mandatory).
General wet lab skills – including pipetting, filtration/cell harvesting, and preparation of nutrient solutions and media.
Statistical analysis skills – e.g. ANOVA and other tests useful for comparing parametric and non-parametric data belonging to treatments and controls.
Preferred Years Experience, Skills, Training, Education
A PhD in microbiology, marine microbiology, or a closely related field is necessary.
Experience with genomics, transcriptomics, and/or proteomics is ideal but not mandatory.
