Postdoctoral Research Associate Position

University of Nevada - Reno
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

A post-doctoral associate is available to work on an NSF-funded project: Regulatory and Signaling Mechanisms of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism: A Photosynthetic Adaptation to Environmental Stress

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a photosynthetic pathway found in approximately 7% of all vascular plant species that improves water use efficiency up to 10-fold relative to C3 species, provides an exquisite example of circadian and environmentally regulated photosynthetic adaptation. The successful applicant will assume a leading role in completing project goals that include:

1. determining environmentally induced, circadian controlled changes in mRNA abundance during the transition from C3 photosynthesis to CAM using high-throughput cDNA tag sequencing;
2. determining if environmentally induced, circadian controlled changes in mRNA abundance are accompanied by protein abundance changes and reversible protein phosphorylation events;
3. analyzing the interaction and possible feedback control circuits between downstream metabolic outputs and upstream circadian clock gene expression outputs;
4. identify regulatory and signaling factors that function in the circadian clock output of CAM. Recent work on the project has been published (Cushman et. al. (2008) J. Exp. Botany. 59:1875; Cushman et al. (2008) Plant Physiol. 147: 228).

The position is in the laboratory of Dr. John Cushman in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno. The University of Nevada has well-established, state-of-the-art Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Bioinformatics Facilities. The Reno/Sparks metroplex has a population of greater than 350,000 and is located in the Truckee Meadows on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains about four hours east of San Francisco. Reno boasts 300+ sunny days a year and numerous recreational activities exist from the nearby mountains such as world class skiing and hiking.

Please send a complete application package (a letter of application that describes prior research experience and current research interests, curriculum vitae, transcripts (copy acceptable for application process), and three letters of recommendation, including name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address) as a single PDF file to: Dr. John C. Cushman by email only: jcushman@unr.edu,

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology,
MS 200; University of Nevada, Reno;
Reno, NV 89557.

Applications will be accepted until August 31, 2009, or until a suitable candidate is selected.