Andrew Leakey's Laboratory

University of Illinois

Post-doc & technician positions

Postdoc positions: molecular biology and physiology of stomata, photosynthesis, and WUE

1. We seek creative and energetic applicants for a postdoctoral associate position studying stomata, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency in tobacco. The position will be involved in a collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundation, which involves multidisciplinary teams of physiologists, geneticists, computer scientists, molecular biologists, and social scientists. The Global Center for ‘Alliance for Socially-Acceptable & Actionable Plants’ (ASAP) will exploit natural biodiversity in gene sequences to engineer crops with increased lipid content and greater WUE. This transformational advancement will integrate recent breakthroughs in genetics, protein modelling, synthetic biology, AI and biotechnology, drawing on the expertise of a multi-disciplinary team of scientists from four countries. The positions will offer excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary training and a creative work environment at the Institute for Genomic Biology, which also houses the Department of Energy-funded Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation https://cabbi.bio/ and the Gates Ag One-funded RIPE project (http://ripe.illinois.edu/).

Project Overview

Collaborate with:

2. We seek creative and energetic applicants for a postdoctoral associate position studying stomata, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency in soybean. The position will be involved in the Gates Ag One-funded RIPE project (http://ripe.illinois.edu/), an international research project that is engineering crops to be more productive by improving photosynthesis. The project benefits substantially from significant advances in germplasm development made by our team and collaborators in recent years, as well as a new high-throughput phenotyping facility. The position will offer excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary training and a creative work environment at the Institute for Genomic Biology, which also houses the Department of Energy-funded Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation https://cabbi.bio/.

Leaf Surface with Stomata

Position requirements:

Candidates should have a strong background in molecular genetics or physiology, preferably with a focus on stomata or leaf gas exchange. The successful applicant will be expected to actively engage with a collaborative team using synthetic biology, gene editing and enhanced efficiency transformation strategies to improve water use efficiency. 

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is an equal opportunity employer and offers highly competitive salary and excellent health care benefits. Questions about this position or applications including a letter of application, CV and the names of three referees can be addressed by email to quebede2@illinois.edu.

Positions are immediately available, but the start-date is flexible. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.