Postdoctoral Position in Plants (ET)

Title: Research Associate (Postdoctoral)
Contact Department: Biochemistry / Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Salary: $36-43,000 dep. on experience
Percent Time: 100%
Begin/End Dates: 9/1/2012-8/31/2014 with possible extension
Contact Name Address: 
John Ralph 
Dept. Biochemistry and the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Enzyme Institute
Room 546
1710 University Ave 
Madison, WI 53726-4087
Contact Phone: 608-890-2429
Contact Email: jralph@wisc.edu

Requirements: Experienced postdoctoral synthetic organic and analytical chemist needed to work on projects aimed at altering plant cell wall biosynthesis. Focus is on the aromatics and the lignin component. The incumbent will be involved in synthesizing precursors and products explore the cell wall biosynthesis mechanisms, and designing/improving and applying analytical methods [degradative methods followed by GC- and LC-MS, NMR (on products or on the whole cell wall], to search for crucial components of interest in the cell wall. In particular are components that the collaborative group is attempting to engineer into the wall. Candidates with prior experience in lignin chemistry and analysis are especially encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will have co-authored one or more peer reviewed publications in reputable international journals, and will be familiar with synthetic organic chemistry methods and instrumental structural analysis methods. Note: given the imminent starting date, applicants who are US citizens or have US work visas will be given priority.

Job Duties: The chemist will perform mostly small-scale syntheses of phenolics, and collaborate with researchers engaged in structurally analyzing transgenic plants with altered cell walls, many of our design. This person will also contribute to the design of experiments relying on expertise in the subject and by reading scientific literature and extracting relevant information. They will prepare results for publication in scientific journals and presentation at various meetings.

Deadline: 9/30/2012