A postdoctoral position is available in the Folimonova Laboratory at the University of Florida, Department of Plant Pathology, Gainesville, FL to conduct research in the area of molecular biology and molecular genetics of RNA viruses.
Specifically, our laboratory is examining the involvement of a viral long noncoding RNA and a viral protein in the interaction between strains of citrus tristeza virus, a positive-strand RNA virus (viral superinfection exclusion). Our research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, USA.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- Examine the involvement of a citrus tristeza virus long noncoding RNA and viral proteins in the interaction between virus strains and the virus interaction with the host
- Design and conduct research, collect and analyze data, work on manuscript preparation
- Participate in training graduate and undergraduate students in the laboratory
Minimum qualifications:
- PhD (or an equivalent degree) in virology, molecular biology, biochemistry, or in another related field
- Strong skills in cloning and other molecular biology and biochemistry techniques
- Experience in RNA and protein biology
- Previous experience with confocal microscopy and/or electron microscopy
- Excellent writing and oral communication skills documented by publications in the leading scientific journals
- Must be able to carry research independently as well as work in a team and will be expected to assist undergraduate and graduate students in the lab.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with plant pathogens and plant material
- Experience with bioinformatic analysis of host and pathogen gene expression and protein/RNA structure
Position expectations: The successful candidate is expected to achieve significant progress during the support, measured by publications and preliminary data for grant applications.
Position location: The position is located at the University of Florida, Department of Plant Pathology, Gainesville, FL.
Salary: Salary starts at $48,000 per year plus benefits.
Interested candidates should send a brief cover letter, CV, names of three people that could provide professional recommendations, and contact information to Dr. Svetlana Folimonova (svetlana@ufl.edu).