The Gasch Lab, as part of the of the US Department of Energy-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, seeks a talented postdoctoral fellow to study and engineer yeast cells for stress tolerance.
A major goal of the GLBRC is to make biofuels and biochemicals from sustainable plant biomass, including non-food plants grown on marginal lands. A key bottleneck is that chemical biomass processing required to release available sugars generates a suite of toxins that inhibit microbial production. Some of these toxins emerge from chemical processing, but others are generated by plants that experience ecological stresses before harvest. As part of a broader project within the GLBRC, we aim to use functional and chemical genomics to a) understand toxin mechanisms of action against yeast, b) develop a computational pipeline to ‘type’ plant biomass batches from the field based on chemico-genomic fingerprints, and c) ultimately engineer customized strains designed for tolerance against specific hydrolysate classes. This project presents an excellent opportunity to work as part of a broader center-wide team spanning microbiologists, plant researchers, engineers, and computational analysts.
The ideal candidate will have past experience working with yeast or other microbes, including in cloning and other methods of genetic/genomic investigation or other experiences that can be related for speedy learning of these skills. Past experience generating and analyzing large datasets, programming, and applying machine learning approaches is a plus but not required; candidates that lack this experience should have a strong desire to hone their skills in this area.
Candidates should have:
- Been recently awarded or soon to be awarded a Ph.D. in genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, or similar field.
- Demonstrated productivity through first author publications or preprints
- Be highly motivated, independent, and driven
- Be interested in joining a collaborative research group in the Gasch Lab
The Gasch Lab is housed within the Laboratory of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. UW-Madison is a vibrant community with a strong culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and communication. There are many opportunities for research and professional development, especially pertaining to industry careers and placement. Madison is an exceptional place to live and is frequently voted one of the best cities in the country.
To apply
Intersted candidates should email a CV, statement of research interests, manuscript preprints (if yet to be published), and contact information for three references to Audrey Gasch (agasch@wisc.edu).
We welcome and encourage women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities to apply.