Postdoctoral Associate

Postdoctoral Associate

The Northern Gulf Institute at Mississippi State University is seeking a postdoctoral associate to lead the development and application of molecular assays to support fisheries and biodiversity monitoring. Based at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, Florida, the successful candidate will be at the forefront of developing innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) laboratory methods to enhance fisheries stock assessments. Working in a highly collaborative environment, this role will leverage bioinformatics and laboratory expertise to develop novel quantitative metabarcoding approaches and qPCR assays to improve regional fisheries surveys.

This position offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with scientists at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to operationalize eDNA tools for fisheries management.

Salary Grade: UC

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

The Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Institute comprised of six academic institutions that are geographically distributed across the U.S. Gulf Coast states. The six NGI member institutions are Mississippi State University (lead), the University of Southern Mississippi, Florida State University, Louisiana State University, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and the Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory.

Together with NOAA and in support of their strategic plan, NGI conducts research on interconnections among Gulf of Mexico environments, habitats, resources, and people and engages in outreach to help others learn about and make decisions based on these interconnections.

Develop and validate quantitative metabarcoding workflows utilizing droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), Unique Molecular Identifiers (UMIs) tagging, and synthetic DNA standards. Develop and validate an optimized eDNA metabarcoding primer set designed to resolve taxonomic ambiguities in regional managed fish taxa families. Leverage bioinformatics software and scripts for primer development and processing of metabarcoding and ddPCR data. Oversee, collaborate with, and mentor laboratory technicians and interns associated with the project.

Disseminate project findings through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific conferences. Collaborate closely with collaborators at AOML, NGI, SEFSC, and FWC.

A Ph.D. in molecular biology, computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, marine science, or a closely related field. Demonstrated experience in molecular biology, specifically with DNA metabarcoding and PCR protocol development. Bioinformatics experience, including proficiency with the Unix command line, management of large sequencing datasets, and development/use of computational workflows. Strong programming and data science skills in languages such as Python and/or R.

A record of scholarly achievement, evidenced by at least one first-author peer-reviewed publication. Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative research environment.

Significant molecular biology experience including developing qPCR protocols and DNA metabarcoding. Demonstrated experience analyzing large-scale metabarcoding and/or metagenomic datasets using common bioinformatics tools (e.g., DADA2, QIIME) on high-performance computing (HPC) environments. A strong publication record, including first-author publications in relevant fields. Demonstrated commitment to open-source code and FAIR data management principles. Ability to work effectively within a team of federal scientists and academic contractors.

Attention to detail regarding laboratory QA/QC and the maintenance of comprehensive electronic and physical records.

Occasional and/or light lifting required. Limited exposure to elements such as heat, cold, noise, dust, dirt, chemicals, etc., but none to the point of being disagreeable. May involve minor safety hazards where likely result would be cuts, bruises, etc. Routine deadlines, usually sufficient lead time; variance in work volume predictable; priorities can be anticipated; some interruptions are present; involves occasional exposure to demands and pressure from persons other than immediate supervisor.

Job frequently requires standing, walking, climbing or balancing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling and lifting up to 50 pounds. Vision requirements:
Ability to see information in print and/or electronically, ability to distinguish colors.

Apply online by submitting a cover letter, resume, and a copy of your transcript(s). Any social security numbers included on requested transcripts should be redacted prior to submitting online.

Position is contingent upon continued…