Research Associate – Fixed Term: The Plant Resilience Institute at Michigan State University is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate for a fixed-term position. This role focuses on discovering a new class of regulatory metabolites and their mechanisms in plant resilience, integrating various scientific methodologies to advance plant stress hormone biology.
Designation:
Research Associate – Fixed Term
Research Area:
Plant Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry
Location:
East Lansing, Michigan, United States
Eligibility/Qualification:
- Required Degree: Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, or a related field by the time of appointment.
- Minimum Requirements:
- Demonstrated experience with plant transformation, reverse genetics, and phenotypic analysis.
- Familiarity with gene expression analysis and confocal microscopy.
- Strong communication, organizational, and team collaboration skills.
- Desired Qualifications:
- Experience with phytohormone biology or regulatory metabolite research.
- Familiarity with compound screening or receptor-ligand interaction assays.
- Background in bioinformatics or phylogenomics.
Job Description:
The Research Associate will lead projects in bioinformatics, molecular genetics, protein structural prediction, and experimental validation aimed at understanding the roles of regulatory metabolites in gene regulation and stress response. Key responsibilities include:
- Designing and executing reverse genetic experiments (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9 knockouts and GFP-tagged overexpressors).
- Developing and applying protein turnover assays using fluorescent-tagged constructs.
- Collaborating with PRI labs on phenotyping (e.g., drought, heat, insect resistance) and transcriptome analysis.
- Analyzing protein structure utilizing AlphaFold and guiding mutagenesis strategies.
- Coordinating internal compound screening and ligand-binding assays.
- Contributing to data interpretation, manuscript preparation, and dissemination of findings.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit the following application materials:
- A cover letter detailing research experience and motivation for the PRIME project.
- A curriculum vitae.
- Contact information for three references.
Last Date to Apply:
The position is open immediately and will close upon identifying an ideal candidate. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting from 09/05/2025.
For more details, please visit the Plant Resilience Institute website.
