Postdoc positions: (1) molecular biology and (2) physiology of stomata, photosynthesis and WUE

The Leakey group at the University of Illinois (http://lab.igb.illinois.edu/leakey/) seeks creative and energetic applicants for 2 postdoctoral associate positions studying stomata, photosynthesis and water use efficiency in the model C4 species of sorghum and setaria. The positions will be involved in long-term collaborative projects funded by the Department of Energy (including https://cabbi.bio/), which involves multidisciplinary teams of physiologists, geneticists, computer scientists and molecular biologists.  Our broad goals are to understand the genetic and physiological controls of photosynthetic water use efficiency through a combination of molecular genetics, quantitative genetics, and physiology. The project benefits substantially from significant advances in high-throughput phenotyping and germplasm development made by our team and collaborators in recent years, as well as a new large-scale field facility for imposing drought treatments, and access to the Advanced Photon Source at ANL for 3D imaging of leaves (https://www.aps.anl.gov/). The positions will offer excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary training and a creative work environment at the Institute for Genomic Biology, which also houses the Gates Foundation-funded RIPE project  (http://ripe.illinois.edu/).

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 the water use efficiency of C4 crops.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is an equal opportunity employer and offers highly competitive salary and excellent health care benefits. Questions about these positions or applications including a letter of application, CV and the names of three referees can be addressed by email to Melinda Laborg (laborg@uiuc.edu).

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