Postdoctoral Research Associate, Microbial Ecology Lab

Saint Louis University•St. Louis, MO

61d•Onsite

About The Position

The Soil Microbial Ecology Laboratory at Saint Louis University is seeking a creative post-doctoral scientist with a strong background in soil microbiome, multi-omics (metagenomics/transcriptomics/metabolomics), and bioinformatics. This researcher will assist the team in conducting soil sampling in the field and assessing soil functions using multi-omics analyses. The role is critical to the department's research mission and supporting ongoing research in Dr. Huang's Microbial Ecology Lab. The primary focus is to support ongoing research, establish lab protocols, and generate preliminary data for securing extramural funding.

Requirements

PhD in microbial ecology/microbiology, and bioinformatics or related field.
Experience in multi-omics pipeline development and analyses.
Experience in wet lab: soil incubation, qPCR, DNA/RNA extraction.
Evidence of scientific productivity in the form of peer-reviewed publications.
Ability to take a leadership role for the project.

Responsibilities

Conduct soil sampling in the field.
Assess soil functions using multi-omics analyses.
Quantify microbial functional genes using qPCR.
Develop AI-driven bioinformatics pipeline and analyze multi-omics data.
Perform soil sampling and experiment design.
Measure soil properties (soil pH, moisture content, Inorganic N, etc.).
Perform soil incubation and activity measurement.
Train undergrad and graduate students in the laboratory.
Develop standard protocols for molecular techniques, including field soil sampling, soil nutrients analyses, experimental design, gene cloning, PCR and qPCR, and sequence library preparation.
Perform high-throughput data analyses (metagenomic/transcriptomic analysis).
Mentor and train graduate students in hands-on experiences and data analysis skills.