The King lab, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, is seeking a creative, motivated, and highly skilled Postdoctoral Associate in the area of Bioengineering. The King laboratory carries out cutting-edge research in an emerging model organism, the choanoflagellate, to reconstruct the origin and early evolution of animals. The successful candidate will develop novel transgenic approaches in choanoflagellates.
Principal Responsibilities:
The overarching goal of this project is to establish transgenic approaches in one or more species of choanoflagellate. The specific goals of this project include:
• Establish and optimize methods for delivering DNA (e.g. plasmids), dsRNA, RNA (e.g. CRISPRs), and proteins (e.g. Cas9, ZFNs, TALENs, etc.) into choanoflagellate cells
• Establish and optimize methods for constitutive or inducible expression of genes of interest in choanoflagellates
• Extend transgenic approaches to diverse choanoflagellate species and other phylogenetically relevant organisms
Success in this project will be transformative for the study of choanoflagellates.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Biotechnology, or related topics
• Expertise in troubleshooting viral transduction, biolistics, electroporation, or other transformation approaches would be valuable
• Demonstrated expertise in cell biology, molecular biology, or biochemistry
• Hands-on experience with genome editing or gene silencing techniques in protozoa or animal cell culture
• Demonstrated ability to work independently at the bench and to implement new techniques in an ambiguous area where the outcome is sometimes uncertain
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, as well as strong organizational skills
Additional Information:
The genomes of two choanoflagellate species have been sequenced (PMID 18273011 and PMID 23419129) and forward genetics has been implemented in the colony-forming choanoflagellate S. rosetta, but transgenic approaches in choanoflagellates have not yet been established.
For more information about research in the King lab, please visit: kinglab.berkeley.edu.
To Apply:
Please send a single .pdf file that includes the following to Prof. Nicole King (c/o Heather Middleton) at [email protected], Subject: Bioengineering Postdoc
1. A cover letter that describes your research interests, expertise/experience relevant to the effort to establish transgenics in choanoflagellates, relevant prior research experience, and future career plans.
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Names of three references
4. Publications on which you were a major contributor
All applicants, including those from abroad, must be able to come to Berkeley, California for an interview. Unfortunately, due to the number of applications we receive, we may not be able to reply individually to all inquiries.
Application Deadline:
Open Until Filled
Job details
Employer: Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
Website: http://www.hhmi.org
Location: UC Berkeley , Berkeley, CA, United States
Expires: April 30, 2014
Job type: Postdoctoral
Salary: Unspecified
Qualifications: Postgraduate – Doctorate/PhD
Employment type: Contract
Job hours: Full-time
