Assistant Research Scientist

## Assistant Research Scientist Apply:
College Station, TX:
Full time:
Posted Yesterday:
R-097681
** Job Title
** Assistant Research Scientist
** Agency
* * Texas A&M Agrilife Research
** Department
* * Entomology
* * Proposed Minimum Salary
** Commensurate
* * Job Location
** College Station, Texas
** Job Type
** Staff
* * Job Description**#
** About Texas A&M Agri Life
** Texas A&M Agri Life is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:
* Texas A&M Agri Life Extension Service
* Texas A&M Agri Life Research
* College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University
* Texas A&M Forest Service
* Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M Agri Life brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M Agri Life is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

Click
** here
* * to learn more about joining Agri Life! #
** Position Information
***
* Job Summary:

** Primary focus will be on arthropod physiology, toxicology, and molecular biology with emphasis on G-protein coupled receptor functional characterization. We are discovering ligands of GPCRs and testing them in tissues and whole animals for bioactivity. Endocrinological studies are performed with mosquitoes and tick tissues in vitro and in vivo. The Assistant Research Scientist will take the lead on a project that characterizes the activity of small molecules and peptides on arthropod neuropeptide receptors in vivo or in vitro.

They will develop and execute research to determine the efficacy, inhibitory or agonistic activity of these molecules. This will involve undertaking chemical library screens on recombinant arthropod receptors expressed in cell lines, RNAi studies to knockdown peptides and receptors to determine their physiological role and quantifying silencing by qRT-PCR, immunolocalization of labeling analyses with tissues, injection of peptides or small molecules into ticks and analyze behavior with Etho Vision software.
** Responsibilities:**-Record and analyze data/results; report research through regular oral presentations and reports and publish in a timely manner in refereed journals; assist with research grant project reports; and keep abreast of all current literature on subject matter, etc.

-Contribute to the success and renewal of federally funded projects.

-Work involves mammalian cell culture and use of robots for high-throughput screens (experience desirable but will be trained on this).

-Duties will include cloning and functional expression analysis of tick and fire ant G-protein coupled receptors in mammalian cells; calcium fluorescence and bioluminescence assays, histochemistry, quantitative (Real-time PCR), etc.; and supervision of technical staff, graduate and undergraduate students.

-Conduct research with mosquitoes of public health importance. Conduct research with ticks of medical and/or agricultural importance. Conduct feeding and pesticide mosquito bioassays in the laboratory.

- Other job-related duties as required.  
** Required

Education:

**-Ph.D. in Entomology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology,  Genetics, Biology, Animal Physiology, or other closely related field.  
*
* Preferred Experience:

**-Demonstrated research experience/background in bioassays, molecular biology techniques (including qRT-PCR, cloning, basic microbiology, and western blot), experimental design and basic statistical analysis.

Experience with histochemistry and/or cellular techniques (tissue culture); manuscript writing experience; and have a peer-reviewed publication record. An interest in arthropod neurobiology and physiology, and experience with mosquitoes and/or other blood feeders highly desirable. Must know biochemical calculations to prepare buffers, media, solutions and correct dilutions of small molecules and peptides. Some related research experience. Publications.  
** Preferred Knowledge, Abilities, and

Skills:

**-Able to analyze data statistically with either Graph Pad Prism, or R, SAS.  
** Other Requirements:**-Ability to travel to South Texas or and Kerrville, TX for a few days at the time, even if sporadically. For this travel, a USA driver license may be required if not immediately, shortly upon hire.  If not able to drive will be…