[ES_JOBS_NET] Several Postdoc and Research Assistant Positions available relating to Oil Spill Microbiology/Chemistry

[jason sylvan]

*_ADDOMEx_*

*_Aggregation and Degradation of Dispersants and Oil by Microbial 
Exopolymers_*

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) drilling rig in the 
northern Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010 released ~ 4.1 million barrels 
of oil over 84 days with an estimated 60% of this reaching the sea 
surface.While it is known that weathering and hydrodynamic forces affect 
both the distribution and properties of the oil released, and that 
opportunistic microbes play an important role in its degradation, there 
are few studies examining the interactions between oil, microbes 
(phytoplankton, bacteria) and their exudates. This proposal brings 
together a group uniquely qualified to study the molecular-level 
chemistry of sparingly-soluble substances in complex systems and the 
associated microbial communities.

/The Vision of the Consortium/ is to understand how the presence of 
hydrocarbons trigger production of exopolymeric substances (EPS) that 
may protect organisms from the oil, emulsify the oil, or both, therefore 
altering its degradation.The interaction among EPS, oil and the local 
environmental factors plays a critical role in determining the fate of 
oil (e.g., degradation, dispersion or sedimentation) from oil 
spills/.The mission of this program/ is to develop a process-based 
understanding of the role that EPS, micro-gels, and transparent 
exopolymer particles (TEP) play in the fate of oil (e.g., degradation, 
dispersion or sedimentation) and, in addition, how the dispersant 
Corexit affects these processes.

We are seeking people to fill the following positions. Please contact 
the person associated with each position directly for additional 
information on requirements, starting time and other details:

*_Postdoctoral research associates (2), Phytoplankton ecology - Texas 
A&M University (Galveston)_*

ADDOMEx, a recently funded program, seeks a Postdoctoral research 
associate to help with all aspects of laboratory work examining the fate 
and transport of oil and dispersant materials to phytoplankton. The 
person will be responsible for making media, growing cultures, running 
specific analyses to identify impact on phytoplankton, working up the 
data and assisting with writing reports, papers and doing presentations. 
Key required skills include growing algal cultures, ability to perform 
ecophysiological experiments and manipulations, preparation of materials 
for omnic type analysis. Experience with writing reports, papers and 
doing presentations is essential.

Location: TAMUG (www.tamug.edu/phytoplankton 
<http://www.tamug.edu/phytoplankton>)

Main advisors: Antonietta Quigg (quigga at tamug.edu 
<mailto:quigga at tamug.edu>) and Zoe Finkel (zfinkel at mta.edu )

*__*

*_Research Assistant, Phytoplankton ecology - Texas A&M University 
(Galveston)_*

ADDOMEx, a recently funded program, seeks a research assistant to help 
with all aspects of laboratory work examining the role of phytoplankton 
in the fate and transport of oil. The person will be responsible for 
making media, growing cultures, running specific analyses to identify 
the impact of oil and dispersant on phytoplankton, working up the data 
and assisting with writing reports, papers and doing presentations. Key 
skills required include experience operating flow cytometers and growing 
algal cultures. Experience with writing reports and doing presentations 
benefical but not required.

Location: TAMUG (www.tamug.edu/phytoplankton 
<http://www.tamug.edu/phytoplankton>)

Main advisor: Antonietta Quigg (quigga at tamug.edu <mailto:quigga at tamug.edu>)

*__*

*_Program assistant- Texas A&M University (Galveston)_*

ADDOMEx, a recently funded program, seeks a program assistant to 
coordinate and organize all major project findings (presentations, 
manuscripts, outreach materials, etc.) and make them available to the 
community (scientists, agencies, stakeholders) on as close to a real 
time basis as possible.The consortia director (Quigg) will work with the 
program assistant to prepare a dedicated webpage on the TAMUG server for 
the program.The program assistant will also work with Texas Sea Grant to 
as part of their ongoing outreach and extension efforts. This includes 
preparing flyers, doing presentations to K-12 and other community 
groups, and ad hoc activities as they arise. The program assistant will 
work with the network of outreach staff at GOMRI to ensure activities 
are embedded in the overall program.

Location: TAMUG (www.tamug.edu/phytoplankton 
<http://www.tamug.edu/phytoplankton>)

Main advisor: Antonietta Quigg (quigga at tamug.edu <mailto:quigga at tamug.edu>)

*_Postdoctoral research associate, Microfluidics/Microbiology - UC Merced_*

The main project is to utilize microfludic designs to investigate the 
impact of oil and dispersants on marine microbial communities, including 
their individual physiological responses, community evolution or species 
competition.  In addition, various environmental factors that influence 
EPS and oil/dispersant interactions will be studies with confocal 
microscopy, flow cytometry, atomic force microscopy and dynamic laser 
scattering.   Microbiology or microfluidics experience is preferred, but 
not required.

Location: University of California - Merced (www.tamug.edu/phytoplankton 
<http://www.tamug.edu/phytoplankton>)

Main advisor: Wei-Chun Chin wchin2 at ucmerced.edu <mailto:wchin2 at ucmerced.edu>

*_Postdoctoral research associate, Microbiology/Molecular Biology - 
Texas A&M University (College Station)_*

ADDOMEx, a recently funded program seeking to define interactions 
between microbes, oil, dispersants and exopolymeric substances, seeks a 
Postdoctoral Research Associate to be based out of Texas A&M University 
in College Station.Duties will include maintaining microbial isolates, 
participating in incubation experiments ranging from small experiments 
on microfluidic chips up through large experiments in 100 L mesocosms, 
analysis of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets, working up the 
data and assisting with writing reports, papers and presenting the data 
at national meetings.Experience with microbial cultivation and/or 
analysis of high throughput sequencing datasets is preferred.Funding is 
available for up to three years, contingent upon a review after the 
first year.

Location: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (http://ocean.tamu.edu/)

Main advisor: Jason Sylvan (jsylvan at usc.edu <mailto:jsylvan at usc.edu>)

*_Postdoctoral research associate, Exoplymer chemistry/Chemical 
oceanography - Texas A&M University (Galveston)_*

ADDOMEx, a recently funded program, jointly with a NSF program, seeks a 
Postdoctoral research associate to help with all aspects of experimental 
and laboratory work examining the role of microbial exopolymers in fate 
and transport of oil and other potentially toxic compounds. The person 
will be responsible for running specific analyses to identify role of 
microbial exopolymers, working up the experimental data and assisting 
with writing reports, papers and doing presentations. Key required 
skills include ability to perform biochemical analyses, preparation of 
materials for instrumental analysis. Experience with writing reports, 
papers and doing presentations is essential.

Location: TAMUG (http://loer.tamug.edu)

Main advisors: Peter H. Santschi (Santschi at tamug.edu 
<mailto:Santschi at tamug.edu>), Chen Xu (xuc at tamug.edu 
<mailto:xuc at tamug.edu>),and Kathleen A. Schwehr (Schwehrk at tamug.edu 
<mailto:Schwehrk at tamug.edu>)


-- 
Jason B. Sylvan, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
University of Southern California
Department of Biological Sciences
3616 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0371
(213) 740-0763
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.ucar.edu/pipermail/es_jobs_net/attachments/20150226/0c6ea870/attachment.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: ADDOMEx_hiring_matrix.pdf
Type: video/x-flv
Size: 68207 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.ucar.edu/pipermail/es_jobs_net/attachments/20150226/0c6ea870/attachment.flv