Career Center
Millersville, Maryland
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
New York, New York
Lansing, Michigan
California
Middlesboro, Tennessee
Posted: 25-Jan-23
Location: ST. LOUIS, Missouri
Type: Full Time
Area of Focus:
Required Education:
Internal Number: 77155
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is seeking a highly motivated, entrepreneurial-minded and organized individual to fill a full-time position as Plant Pathologist for the development and characterization of anti-microbial peptides for commercialization. These peptides are being developed to fight common plant pathogens that cause substantial damage to agricultural crops; in the role, the right candidate will contribute to more effective, sustainable, and environmentally responsible agriculture.
Responsibilities:
- Development, implementation and coordination of growth chamber and greenhouse in planta assay to test the efficacy and effects of anti-microbial peptides and fungicides on plant and fungal/oomycete species.
- Day-to-day activities will include all aspects of plant care in growth chambers and greenhouse including planting, watering, chemical, peptide and pathogen application, rating of plant diseases, and data collection.
- Planting and maintenance of wheat, barley, soy, corn, tomato, pepper and vegetable crops.
- Ability to maintain and propagate fungal, oomycete and bacterial pathogens cultures (including necrotrophic, hemibiotrophic and biotrophic pathogens) and their plant application.
- Chemical dilution, preparation, formulation and application of solutions
- Coordination of all in planta testing including plant and pathogen propagation and maintenance
- Data collection, collation, analysis and generation of reports using various software tools
- Summarization of technical results for diverse internal and external audiences.
- Troubleshooting for successful assay implementation.
- Contribute to grant and contract proposals and reporting with PI, including gathering and analyzing contributions from diverse participants, data compilation and original writing. Coordinates major project and troubleshooting issues important to completion of projects and efficient lab operations
- Other duties as assigned
Required knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Able to organize, multitask time efficiently and work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and interactive research environment
- Effective writing and communication skills, meticulous record keeping
- Demonstrated experience is required with some of the following techniques, but applicants with related skill sets are encouraged to apply:
- Experience working with plant fungal and oomycete pathogens and their cell biology to characterize their responses to anti-fungal chemicals.
- Hands-on experience with in planta growth chamber, greenhouse and semi-in planta (e.g., detached leaf) anti-fungal/oomycete assays and quantitative disease analyses
- Prior experience with sterile techniques of maintenance and culturing of fungal/oomycete pathogens and growing healthy plants in growth chamber/greenhouse for disease assays
- Laboratory experience and excellent organization, electronic recordkeeping and communication skills
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and interactive research environment
- Initiative and demonstrated creative problem-solving skills
- Ability to contribute substantially to publications, grants and patents
- Ability to analyze, troubleshoot and optimize laboratory protocols and instrumentation
- Live the Danforth Center values: Collaboration, Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity & Respect, Environmental Sustainability, and Stewardship
- Direct experience in Plant Pathology based field trials and working with wheat or barley a plus
Qualifications:
- Ph.D. with post-doctoral and several years demonstrated experience and a strong background in in Plant Pathology, Botany, Microbiology or related Life Science field with a keen interest in discovery research.
Submission:
- Cover letter that describes past research experience
- CV
- Contact information for three (3) professional references
About the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center:
Founded in 1998, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is an independent, non-profit organization with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Our focus is scientific research at the nexus of food, energy and the environment to improve the productivity and sustainability of agriculture. We assemble interactive teams of scientists and develop unique platforms to discover underlying principles about how plants work. We then convert that knowledge into useful crops and products, and partner with organizations that are best positioned to solve problems where they exist around the world. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is proudly an equal employment opportunity employer. Employment decisions at the Danforth Center are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. It is our policy that the Danforth Center does not discriminate in employment opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin and status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities. As a federal contractor, the Danforth Center is required to comply with the 2021 Executive Order mandating full vaccination status of employees by December 8, 2021 unless the employee is legally entitled to an accommodation due to physical disability or sincerely held religious belief. If you need a reasonable accommodation to access the information provided on this web site, please contact Human Resources, at 314-587-1033 for further assistance.
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