Position Announcements
Postdoctoral Fellow Microbial Ecology
The Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences (DEES) is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in microbial ecology at DRI’s Las Vegas campus (www.dri.edu). This position, funded primarily through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Subsurface Biogeochemical Research program (SBR), will build upon preliminary evidence suggesting that deep subsurface microbial ecosystems may be supported by radiochemical reactions at DOE legacy waste sites. This novel mechanism for sustaining terrestrial deep life has recently been established through related work in the world’s deepest mines in South Africa (Science, 322:275-8) and may be of practical relevance for understanding the mobility of actinide contaminants in subsurface aquifers.
The research will employ an integrated approach: combining environmental science with traditional microbiology and bioinformatics. Major field activities will involve the sampling of borehole fluids from fractured rock and alluvial subsurface habitats altered by nuclear detonations at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site). Specific project objectives will include microbial community and genomic assessments of radioactive and non-radioactive groundwater and rock samples, cultivation and characterization of relevant microbial physiotypes, and the development of laboratory microcosms. The successful candidate will be based at the DRI Environmental Microbiology Laboratory and be part of an interdisciplinary team composed of researchers from DRI, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), Princeton University, The University of Toronto, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Bigelow Laboratory.
Interested applicants would need:
Ph.D. microbiology or an affiliated field, obtained prior to the start of employment.
Ability to work independently and manage a collaborative research project
Ability to meet deadlines and maintain OSHA, Radworker, and other required training
Ability to maintain detailed field/laboratory notes and chain of custody documentation
Ability to supervise students
Ability to effectively analyze and report research findings to sponsors, at conferences, and in the scientific literature (clear written and spoken English)
Due to security requirements associated with access to essential project sites, only citizens of the Unites States can be considered for the primary position for this search. If a second hire is considered, all applicants, including those who are not citizens of the United States will be considered for the second position as they will not be required to access the restricted essential project sites.
Preferred Qualifications:
Bioinformatics (e.g. pyrotagdata, metagenomics, Linux operating systems)
Molecular ecology techniques (e.g., PCR, qPCR, T-RFLP)
Microbial cultivation/anaerobic technique
Environmental chemistry, radiochemistry
Salaries are competitive and commensurate with qualifications, with continued appointment for a Postdoc(for up to a maximum of three years) being dependent upon performance and availability of funding. DRI offers a benefits package that includes:
Medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance
6.2% retirement contribution with matching by DRI
Paid annual and sick leave; 11 paid holidays
Tuition reduction at NSHE institutions for employee and dependents
No state income tax, No social security participation
About DEES: Researchers in DEES examine all kinds of life –simple and complex, past and present, pristine and polluted –to help gauge the health of our environment. DEES scientists all contribute to a greater understanding of the history and processes affecting landscapes, the earth’s surface and its living inhabitants.
For a complete description, required qualifications, & how to apply online, visit our website at
http://www.jobs.dri.edu
Questions regarding this position can be directed to Dr. Duane Moser, Search Chair, tel: 702-862-5534; or e-mail (duane.moser@dri.edu).
DRI is an AA/EEO employer.