This advertisement seeks to fill an open postdoctoral position in the Moghe Lab in the Plant Biology Section at Cornell University. Our lab is interested in predictive biology of plant specialized metabolism to enable better characterization of the vast phytochemical diversity, and to identify novel genetic strategies for making sustainable agrochemicals and nature-derived drugs. Our research spans the fields of computational biology, biochemistry, genomics, evolutionary biology and agricultural science, and we have a solid track record of publications in well-regarded journals. We also engage actively with the global phytochemistry community through the Phytochemical Section at the Botanical Society of America, the PhytochemTalks seminar series, ASPB and other avenues. More information about the Moghe Lab research program can be found at https://www.moghelab.org.  

The project associated with this position is a collaborative effort between the Moghe Lab and the labs of Drs. Jocelyn Rose (Cornell University) and Arjun Khakhar (Colorado State University), integrating aspects of plant physiology, crop engineering and synthetic biology. The postdoc will have significant networking and mentoring opportunities from working in this collaborative environment.

Position Function    

This position requires a PhD graduate with expertise in computational biology focusing on genomic tools. The project involves interfacing with global protein function and organismal databases such as UniProt, Gene Ontology, TAIR and Sol Genomics Network, developing novel computational pipelines for comparative genomics and predicting enzyme function, and deploying such tools for public use via in-house and external platforms. The ideal candidate will have substantial experience working on HPC servers, will be able to code in Python with at least some R experience, have prior experience with machine learning algorithms, and will have a track record of publications. Results of this project will have a broad impact on the global plant science community and provide deep insights into the structure of plant metabolic pathways. 

The researcher will work in a highly collaborative environment and have opportunities to mentor students, present at national/international conferences, attend workshops, participate in other collaborative projects and enhance their teaching credentials through occasional guest lectures. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of the lab, the researcher will also have opportunities to learn foundational wet-lab approaches, learn about LC-MS and cheminformatic data analyses, and participate in/develop other projects, making them highly competitive for future academic or industry careers.

This is a one-year term appointment with extension possible based on performance and funding. The expected start date is flexible between July 1 – October 1, 2023.

Please email Gaurav Moghe for additional information.

Requirements

PhD in Plant Biology, Computational Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics or other related field.

Required skills:

•     Ability to work independently in Unix-based HPC systems
•     Expertise in coding in Python
•     Expertise in comparative genomics tools and approaches
•     Expert understanding of molecular evolution concepts
•     Experience with implementing machine learning algorithms
•     Excellent written and verbal communication skills
•     Evidence of performing high-quality research individually and as part of a team

Preferred skills:

•        Experience with Python Django, R Shiny and Docker
•        Experience with development and deployment of web tools
•        Prior experience performing molecular biology work

To apply:

Please apply via Academic Jobs Online.

Qualified candidates should submit their curriculum vitae, 1-2 page Research Statement, list of publications, contact information for two references and a statement of contribution to diversity, equity and inclusion via the website.