Postdoctoral Research Associate

Texas A&M University System • College Station, TX

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Postdoctoral Research Associate, under general supervision, is responsible for conducting research on host–pathogen interactions for a USDA ARS collaborative project examining how prior exposure to moderately acidic conditions influences the ability of Salmonella to invade, survive, and replicate within bovine macrophages. The position combines bacteriology and mammalian cell culture with dual RNA-seq to characterize bacterial and host transcriptional responses across serotypes relevant to cattle and food safety. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will design and perform infection and time-course experiments, generate and analyze host and bacterial transcriptomic data, and integrate phenotypic outcomes with differential gene expression to identify mechanisms of acid-adaptation–driven intracellular survival. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will maintain rigorous records, write and contribute to publications and sponsor progress reports, and may mentor student researchers. This position supports improved understanding of serotype-specific persistence in bovine systems and future strategies to reduce Salmonella risk in livestock populations.

Requirements

• Appropriate PhD in a related field (e.g., microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, veterinary or biomedical sciences, or a closely related discipline).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective presentation skills for scientific and stakeholder audiences.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills; attention to detail and accurate record keeping.
• Knowledge of next-generation sequencing and RNA-seq workflows, from sample preparation through data analysis.
• Working knowledge of aseptic technique, sterile cell culture, and biosafety practices (BSL-2).
• Ability to design and execute multi-timepoint experiments and manage, organize, and interpret large datasets.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary, multi-institution research team.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with RNA-seq, including library preparation and dual (host + pathogen) RNA-seq analysis (read QC/trimming, alignment to reference genomes, differential gene expression).
• Proficiency with bioinformatics tools and scripting (e.g., command-line workflows, R and/or Python) for transcriptomic analysis and data integration.
• Experience in bacteriology and BSL-2 practices, including Salmonella or other enteric pathogen culture, serotyping/purity confirmation, and antimicrobial susceptibility assays.
• Experience with mammalian cell and/or macrophage culture and infection models (e.g., gentamicin protection / intracellular survival assays).
• Record of peer-reviewed, first-author publications and experience contributing to grant proposals and sponsor progress reports.
• Experience mentoring or training undergraduate and/or graduate students.

Responsibilities

• Under general supervision, conducts research on host–pathogen interactions using a bovine macrophage infection model to determine how prior exposure to moderately acidic conditions influences Salmonella invasion, survival, and intracellular replication across serotypes relevant to cattle and food safety.
• Establishes and optimizes macrophage culture, density, viability, and infection conditions; validates the model using invasion- and replication-defective control strains and multiple multiplicities of infection (MOI).
• Prepares and standardizes acid-adapted and non-adapted bacterial cultures (turbidity standards, plate-based quantification); performs antimicrobial susceptibility (gentamicin protection) assays and confirms serotype purity.
• Performs infections and multi-timepoint sampling; quantifies association, invasion, and intracellular persistence via standardized lysis and plating; assesses macrophage counts, viability, and cytotoxicity for normalization.
• Extracts and purifies RNA from infected cells; evaluates RNA quality; performs ribosomal RNA depletion and strand-specific library preparation for dual host–pathogen RNA-seq.
• Maintains accurate records, analyzes research data, and summarizes results.
• Performs quality control and trimming of raw sequencing reads; aligns reads to host and bacterial reference genomes to characterize each transcriptome separately.
• Conducts dual RNA-seq differential expression analysis focused on stress-response pathways, virulence-associated genes, and inflammatory responses.
• Integrates phenotypic outcomes (CFU, invasion, replication) with transcriptomic data to identify mechanisms of acid-adaptation–driven intracellular survival and serotype-specific host–pathogen interactions.
• May assist, mentor, train, and/or supervise undergraduate and graduate student researchers working on the project, including laboratory methods, aseptic technique, and data analysis.
• Prepares presentation materials for small and/or large groups; writes and contributes to research papers, articles, and publications.
• Actively participates in the preparation of required technical progress reports to the research sponsor (USDA ARS).
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Free exercise programs and release time
• All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
• Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
• Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree