Postdoctoral Scholar Insect Molecular Biology ESPM (Organisms & the Environment) - Tsutsui Lab

Position overview

Salary range: The UC Postdoc Salary scales set the minimum pay determined by experience level at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale (s) for this position: Table 23 - Postdoc Salary Scale A reasonable full- time salary estimate for this position is $69,073 - $74,281 (annual).

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: As soon as June 2026

Position duration: Two years with the possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.

Application Window

Open date: April 3, 2026

Most recent review date: Friday, Apr 17, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Friday, May 8, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Department of ESPM, Division of Organisms & the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for a Post-doctoral Employee in the Tsutsui Lab in the area of Insect RNA Biology. Research in the Tsutsui lab focuses on the behavior, genetics, and chemical ecology of invasive ants. The Post-doctoral Employee hired for this position will collaborate with the PI and other lab members on the development and scaling of RNA interference (RNAi) for the control and eradication of invasive ants.

Responsibilities:

This Post-doctoral employee will optimize existing approaches and formulations for RNAi-mediated gene silencing in ants. In addition, the Post-doctoral employee will screen candidate genes to identify new targets and develop expression systems to scale up dsRNA production. This research will involve both wet lab molecular biology and lab experiments with living insect colonies. The Post-doctoral employee will perform data analysis, collaborate with other members of the research team (both at UC Berkeley and partner institutions), mentor graduate and undergraduate students, prepare figures for publication and presentations, present research findings at conferences, and work with the PI and colleagues to write and submit manuscripts for publication. The position requires detailed recordkeeping of experiments performed, conclusions made, and communication of results orally and through lab notebook records.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
Ph.D. or equivalent international degree, or enrollment in a Ph.D. (or equivalent international) program.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)
Ph.D. (or equivalent international degree) required by the appointment start date.
No more than three years of post-degree research experience by the start date.

Preferred qualifications
Excellent writing and communication skills. A record of publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Demonstrated expertise in genetics, genomics, molecular and/or cell biology. Previous experience in RNA biology preferred, particularly with RNA interference (RNAi). Expertise with bacterial or yeast expression systems desirable. Previous research using insect model systems is desirable.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter - Briefly describe relevant qualifications

Reference requirements

• 3 required (contact information only)

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05325

Help contact: ntsutsui@berkeley.edu