Assistant Professor – Plant or Macroalgae-Associated Microbial Communities and Interactions

Assistant Professor – Plant or Macroalgae-Associated Microbial Communities and Interactions - Plant and Microbial Biology Position overview

Salary range: $84,100–$132,900 (9-month academic year salary), however, off-scale salary and other components of pay, which would yield compensation that is higher than this range, are offered to meet competitive conditions. Anticipated start:
July 1, 2027

Open date:
September 3, 2026
Next review date:
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date:
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology in the Rausser College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor faculty position in "Plant- or Macroalgae-Associated Microbial Communities and Interactions."

The department is a community of scholars whose research advances knowledge in plant and microbial systems in terms of biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, genetics and genomics, ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis, and their applications to ecosystems, agriculture, bioenergy, biomedicine, and biotechnology. Our undergraduate students have a choice of vibrant majors that span the disciplines in the department, and we administer top-ranked Ph.D. programs in microbiology and plant biology.

Our researchers benefit from having access to extensive greenhouse and field space and opportunities for interactions and collaborations with other biological science departments and units on campus.

This position centers on research into how plants or macroalgae and their associated microbial communities jointly respond and adapt to environmental stressors, contributing to climate-resilient crops and microbial systems. The scope of the position spans, but is not limited to: plant-microbiome or macroalgae-microbiome interactions in the context of pathogen defense (viral, bacterial, or fungal disease); soil microbial communities and their role in reducing agricultural dependence on pesticides, fertilizers, and greenhouse gas emissions;

and microbial associations with macroalgae relevant to cultivation, health, and climate resilience in the emerging bioeconomy.

Research in this position will complement and build on existing strengths in PMB, with opportunities for collaboration through our existing partnerships, e.g. the Innovative Genomics Institute, the Energy & Biosciences Institute, the International Bioeconomy & Macroalgae Center, the Plant Gene Expression Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Berkeley Food Institute, the Joint Genomics Institute, and the Joint Bioenergy Institute, and other campus and national lab partners.

These partnerships support research that integrates fundamental discovery with translational applications for agricultural and environmental resilience.

The faculty member appointed to this position will teach and mentor the next generation of scientists in plant and microbial biology, including contributing to PMB's growing undergraduate and graduate curricula in this area. Faculty are expected to contribute teaching to the core curriculum of the department and participate fully in the graduate programs. For more information about the department's undergraduate programs, see Undergraduate Majors and for graduate programs, see Graduate Programs.

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology is committed to sustaining a thriving intellectual community in which all faculty, students, and staff can do their best work. We embrace open and equitable access to opportunities for…