Assistant​/Associate Professor – Improvement of Flavor Profiles of Specialty Crops

Assistant/Associate Professor – Improvement of Flavor Profiles of Specialty Crops

We are looking to hire an Assistant/Associate Professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida, based in Gainesville, FL (USA).

Advances in biochemistry, metabolomics, metabolic engineering, and genomics for high-value fruit and vegetable crops are opening new and valuable research opportunities for flavor genomics applied to plant breeding. This position will be responsible for conducting innovative research exploring appropriate tools (e.g. chemistry/molecular biology/genomics/metabolomics/quantitative genetics) to better understand the genetics and biochemistry of fruit/vegetable flavor, and texture in specialty crops. While this position is open for research in any crop, the candidate is expected to dedicate effort into research on flavor profiles of specialty crops by utilizing new and previously established resources on tomato flavor biochemistry, genomics, and genetics, focused on understanding the biochemical and molecular bases of flavor and the improvement of flavor in modern cultivars.

The position is also expected to collaborate closely with the UF tomato breeding program and other members of the department and the wider UF research community. The appointee will conduct the research program with strong extramural funding and is expected to publish research in peer-reviewed journals and participate in the graduate education program.