Postdoctoral Position in Plant Bioinformatics

A bioinformatics postdoctoral position is available immediately at Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, to work on NSF funded plant genome projects. The Postdoctoral Associate is expected to work independently, as well as within a diverse multidisciplinary team.

Major responsibilities

Development of algorithms/pipelines to analyze next-generation sequence (e.g., RNA-seq, ChIP-seq and small RNA) datasets; development of computational tools and resources to integrate different genomics and functional genomics datasets; inference of regulatory networks through integrations of different layers of information, including but not limited to genome sequences, gene and small RNA expression profiles, metabolite profiles, and DNA methylation profiles.

Requirements

The successful candidate will have a recent Ph.D or equivalent in Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Computer Science or closely related fields; demonstrated professional experiences in bioinformatics algorithm/tool development and large scale data mining and analysis. Additional experience in web-based bioinformatics database development is preferred.

To Apply:

To apply, please send a cover letter stating research interests, a CV, and the contact information of 3 references to Dr. Zhangjun Fei (zf25@cornell.edu). Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Job# 2010-12

SGN MetaCyc Curator

SGN has an open position for a full time MetaCyc curator. MetaCyc is the large biochemical pathway database created and hosted by SRI International in Menlo Park, California, http://www.metacyc.org/. MetaCyc is used as a reference database for hundreds of biochemical pathway databases around the world, and has been used to build databases such as AraCyc (http://www.arabidopsis.org/tools/biocyc/) and SolCyc (http://solcyc.solgenomics.net/), which are used by researchers around to world to analyze large-scale genomics data, such as from microarray, RNA-Seq and metabolomics experiments.

Job Description

The successful candidate will annotate new biochemical pathways into the MetaCyc database, and improve the annotation of existing pathways, with a strong focus on biochemical pathways found in higher plants, particularly secondary metabolite pathways. The project is based on Pathway Tools software, which offers a graphical user interface for annotation work. Some annotation work may require writing custom scripts in Lisp or Perl, such as for bulk annotation efforts. The job location is at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, NY, USA, as part of the SGN group (http://solgenomics.net/).

Required Qualifications

PhD or equivalent experience in biochemistry or related field, a strong interest in informatics and programming, and a meticulous work ethic are essential. Encyclopedic knowledge of biochemistry is a definite plus.

To Apply:

Interested applicants should contact Lukas Mueller by email (lam87@cornell.edu) with “MetaCyc Curator position” in the subject line

Job# 2010-26

Undergraduate Lab Assistant Stern Lab

The Stern laboratory is hiring an undergraduate student worker at the Boyce Thompson Institute. For information on the lab, visit http://bti.cornell.edu/stern

Responsibilities

Undergraduate student will provide research support and help with general lab operations. The responsibilities include: Greenhouse potting and discarding plants, crossing and seeding setaria and corn, and assisting a post-doc with routine techniques such as DNA, RNA and protein extraction, PCR, cloning and western blots. Training will be provided.

Requirements

Preference for undergraduate students in plant biology, or a related field, although not required. Work is part-time, and hours are negotiable.

To Apply

Applications should submit a cover letter, CV and the names of three references to Leila Feiz at lf259@cornell.edu (lf259@cornell.edu).

The Boyce Thompson Institute is a non-profit research institute affiliated with and located on the central Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York.

Job# 2012-06

BTI is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.

Research Assistant in the Van Eck/Stern Lab

The Boyce Thompson Institute is now accepting applications for a Research Assistant in the Van Eck and Stern laboratories.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will develop and improve transformation techniques for the plant Setaria viridis, using biogenesis of the carbon dioxide-fixing enzyme Rubisco as a biological model. Duties include molecular cloning to create transformation vectors, tissue culture techniques, and DNA, RNA and protein analysis of transformants. Responsibilities include DNA manipulation and use of relevant software, media preparation, initiation, maintenance, and propagation of in vitro plant material, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and analysis of transformants by molecular techniques. In addition, the successful candidate will be required to transfer in vitro plants to greenhouse conditions. Co-supervision by the Van Eck and Stern laboratories will provide appropriate training and mentoring.

Requirements

B.S. in plant science, horticulture, biology, or a related field. Experience in plant tissue culture and molecular techniques (vector construction, PCR, nucleic acid extraction and analysis) are highly desirable, but not absolutely required. This position requires excellent sterile technique, ability to troubleshoot, and careful record keeping. Must enjoy working with others, have initiative and strong communication skills, and be reliable. Flexibility required to work after hours or weekends, if necessary.

Currently, funding is for one year from the start date, but there is the possibility of an extension of funding.

To Apply

Please send cover letter, resumé and names of three references to David Stern (ds28@cornell.edu) and Joyce Van Eck (jv27@cornell.edu). Because the position is available immediately, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the position will remain open until filled. Salary will be based on experience; BTI has generous employee benefits (see http://bti.cornell.edu/HumanResources) and is an equal opportunity employer.

The Boyce Thompson Institute is a non-profit research institute affiliated with and located on the central Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York.

Job# 2012-04

BTI is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.

Research Assistant in the Van Eck Lab

The Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research is accepting applications for the position of Research Assistant in the Van Eck Lab.

Responsibilities

A position is available for a tissue culture specialist for the Institute’s biotechnology program. Responsibilities include initiation and maintenance of plant material, and insect cell cultures. This will include small-scale recombinant protein production in insect cells. Work also includes, but is not limited to, analysis of cultured material by molecular techniques.

Requirements

B.S. in plant science, horticulture, biology, or related field. Experience in animal or plant tissue culture and molecular techniques (vector construction, PCR, Southern blot) are desirable, but not required. This position requires excellent sterile technique, ability to troubleshoot, and careful record keeping. Must enjoy working with others, have initiative, and be reliable. Flexibility to work after hours or weekends, if necessary.

To Apply

To apply, submit a cover letter, CV and three references to Joyce Van Eck (jv27@cornell.edu).

The Boyce Thompson Institute is a non-profit research institute affiliated with and located on the central Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York.

Job# 2012-02

BTI is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.

Undergraduate Laboratory Assistant

An undergraduate laboratory assistant position is available immediately to work in a plant research laboratory investigating aspects of tomato fruit development at the Boyce Thompson Institute (http://bti.cornell.edu/CarmenCatala.php).

Responsibilities

The student responsibilities will include: care and maintenance of tomato plants in the greenhouse, fruit and seed collection, plant pruning, potting and discarding plants; preparation of lab solutions; assisting in molecular biology experiments involving DNA isolation and gel electrophoresis, and help with general lab tasks.

Requirements

Applicants should have good communication skills, be highly organized and self-motivated and able to work in the greenhouse. Laboratory experience and a Biological Science background are preferable.

To Apply

To apply, or for more information, please contact Carmen Catala. Email address: cc283@cornell.edu Phone: 254-8694.

Job# 2011-20

BTI is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.