Post-Doctoral Associate - Department of Microbiology and Immunology

About the Job

The Postdoctoral Associate will perform structured research-related work assignments requiring knowledge and experience in the field of bacteriology and bacterial genetics, while acquiring additional knowledge and skills through training. The individual must lead research projects in the lab related to host-pathogen interactions and bacterial resistance to stress, working independently and collaboratively to accomplish research goals. This position will involve solving a range of lab-based problems including the development of new protocols, performing established technical assays, acquiring data for defined projects, leading manuscript writing and development, assisting with grant proposals, and coordinating with collaborators. The Postdoctoral Fellow will receive mentorship and direction from the supervisor but should also work independently on tasks specific to their expertise.

Essential Duties:

• 65% - The Postdoctoral Associate will design and carry out experiments using protocols that are newly generated or previously established (including working within BSL-2 laboratory for culture of bacterial organisms, assistance with animal infection studies, conducting tissue culture experiments, extraction of bacterial DNA or RNA, generation of site-directed mutant strains and libraries of mutant strains), analyze data, and determine next steps for projects.
• 20% - The Postdoctoral Associate will participate in writing and data presentation which will include preparing text for lab documentation, preparing figures based on experimental data, presenting at lab meeting, participating in scientific conferences, preparing manuscripts for publication, and reading the scientific literature.
• 10% - The Postdoctoral Associate is expected to train other lab members in basic techniques and protocols specific to their project.
• 5% - The Postdoctoral Associate will participate in professional development activities which advance the long-term career development goals of the trainee.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in a Microbiology or Bacteriology, including experience in bacterial genetics, general microbiology, bacteriology, and at least 5 years of related experience in a lab-based setting.
• Experience generating bacterial mutants and complements.
• Experience using bacterial genetics and reporters to monitor transcriptional activity.
• Demonstration of the ability to mentor and teach lab members at the undergraduate level.
• Experience delivering scientific presentations.
• Experience writing scientific manuscripts regarding bacterial genetics.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience using microscopy to visualize bacterial responses.
• Experience whole genome sequencing bacterial isolates to identify mutations.
• Experience performing Western blots.
• Experience with bacterial RNA sequencing.
• Experience with Microsoft tools such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

About the Department

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology (DMI) is a basic science department in the University of Minnesota (UMN) School of Medicine. Our faculty focus on the study of microorganism and host interactions, and engage in translational research to build and evaluate preclinical and clinical applications of research discoveries aimed at mitigating disease. The department seeks to build on our rich history as we pursue transformational research. DMI faculty have a strong focus on immunology, virology, bacteriology, and fungal biology and they include research and training activities encompassing studies of microbial physiology and genetics, the immune response to infection based around a central theme of interrogating the systems biology of infection, immunity, and diseases.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $63,480 annually