United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

Position Title: Post Doc in maize defense chemistry (molecular) Position Type: Post-Doctoral Position Department/Division: Chemistry Research Unit/ CMAVE Field: plant molecular biology, plant insect-interactions, plant defense chemistry Address: General Information:

The position is in the Block Lab in the Chemistry Research unit and the focus of the research is on the chemical defenses of maize (corn) against insect pests, particularly fall armyworm and corn silk flies. Maize uses a variety of chemicals to defend itself against herbivorous insects both directly by inhibiting insect growth, feeding or attraction and indirectly by attracting predators or parasites. These chemicals include volatile organic compounds, flavonoids, benzoxazinoids and phytoalexins. The Block lab identifies genes involved in the production of these chemical defenses and uses CRISPR/Cas9 and transposon-based strategies to isolate maize mutants in these genes to confirm their function and unravel the function of the chemicals they produce. The Block group also studies the impact of abiotic stresses (elevated carbon dioxide, flooding, drought, and extreme temperature) on the chemical defenses of maize and the impact these combinatorial stresses have on insect resistance, as well as the role of plant volatiles in chemical ecology.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Preferred skills include plant molecular biology, plant-insect bioassays, plant metabolite analysis by GC-MS or LC-MS.
PhD is required. Citizenship restrictions apply.

Responsibilities:

Identification and isolation of loss-of-function mutants in maize, chemical profiling by LC-MS and GC-MS, plant-insect bioassays, preparing manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals.

Application Instructions:

Please send CV and cover letter to anna.block@usda.gov

Website: Compensation Range: Starting salary of $66,214 per annum plus benefits Contact Name: Anna Block Contact Email: anna.block@usda.gov Application Submission Opening: March 28, 2023 | Deadline: May 1, 2023   Back to All Job Listings.