Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology is recruiting one postdoctoral scientist and two graduate students (through University of Connecticut, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture) to conduct a USDA funded research project on yeast-apple-pathogen interactions.
Description of research project: Plant microbiome plays important roles in fitness and health. Understanding how plant microbiome, through interacting with the host and with the pathogen, affects plant disease occurrence is important for developing sustainable management solutions to plant diseases. Using apple-fire blight as a model,
our lab has investigated the succession and functions of the apple flower microbiome, its interaction with the plant and the pathogen, and mechanisms of resistance to plant disease. Recently, we found that a group of yeast-like fungi, through inducing host immune response, strongly suppresses disease infection. In this project, we will further characterize this interaction, including mechanism of immune induction and application in disease control.
Preferred qualifications: Postdoc: PhD in microbiology, plant pathology, molecular biology, or other related area, has research experience and publication record in gene mutation, cloning, overexpression, bioinformatics, genomic and transcriptomic analyses and comparison, as well as microbiome characterization. Annual starting salary is $54,236 with competitive fringe benefits.
PhD students: Have experience in lab research in molecular biology, bioinformatics, microbiology, has passion in plant pathology research. Dissertation research will be conducted at the New Haven Laboratory of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station while degree will be granted by the University of Connecticut, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture.
Annual starting salary of research assistantship is $35,766-$37,634 with fringe benefits. Both positions include career development opportunities such as grant writing, teaching and mentoring. We enjoy scientific inquiry and seek individuals with the curiosity and enthusiasm to match.
New Haven is the “Cultural Capital of Connecticut” known for its supply of theaters, museums, music venues, and diverse restaurants – especially the brick-oven pizza. It is 2 hours from NYC and 3 hours from Boston. CAES is several blocks north of the Science Hill of Yale University. To apply: If interested, please send your CV, research background / interest (one page), and contact information of 3 references to Quan.Zeng@ct.gov.