Assistant Professor - Plant or Macroalgae-Associated Microbial Communities and Interactions - Plant and Microbial Biology

University of California at Berkeley; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Berkeley invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Plant- or Macroalgae-Associated Microbial Communities and Interactions. The appointment will bridge plant or macroalgae biology with microbial ecology to advance climate-resilient crops and ecosystems.

Candidates should address creative research, contribute to teaching in PMB’s undergraduate and graduate programs, and participate in cross-campus collaborations.

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent international degree) at time of application.
• Enrolled in PhD or equivalent program at time of application.

Responsibilities

• Teach and mentor the next generation of scientists in plant and microbial biology.
• Contribute to PMB's core curriculum and participate fully in the graduate programs.

Education

PhD or equivalent international degree

Job description

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology in the Rausser College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor faculty position in "Plant- or Macroalgae-Associated Microbial Communities and Interactions."

The department is a community of scholars whose research advances knowledge in plant and microbial systems in terms of biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, genetics and genomics, ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis, and their applications to ecosystems, agriculture, bioenergy, biomedicine, and biotechnology. Our undergraduate students have a choice of vibrant majors that span the disciplines in the department, and we administer top-ranked Ph.D. programs in microbiology and plant biology. Our researchers benefit from having access to extensive greenhouse and field space and opportunities for interactions and collaborations with other biological science departments and units on campus.

This position centers on research into how plants or macroalgae and their associated microbial communities jointly respond and adapt to environmental stressors, contributing to climate-resilient crops and microbial systems. The scope of the position spans, but is not limited to: plant-microbiome or macroalgae-microbiome interactions in the context of pathogen defense (viral, bacterial, or fungal disease); soil microbial communities and their role in reducing agricultural dependence on pesticides, fertilizers, and greenhouse gas emissions; and microbial associations with macroalgae relevant to cultivation, health, and climate resilience in the emerging bioeconomy.

Research in this position will complement and build on existing strengths in PMB, with opportunities for collaboration through our existing partnerships, e.g. the Innovative Genomics Institute, the Energy & Biosciences Institute, the International Bioeconomy & Macroalgae Center, the Plant Gene Expression Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Berkeley Food Institute, the Joint Genomics Institute, and the Joint Bioenergy Institute, and other campus and national lab partners. These partnerships support research that integrates fundamental discovery with translational applications for agricultural and environmental resilience.

The faculty member appointed to this position will teach and mentor the next generation of scientists in plant and microbial biology, including contributing to PMB's growing undergraduate and graduate curricula in this area. Faculty are expected to contribute teaching to the core curriculum of the department and participate fully in the graduate programs. For more information about the department’s undergraduate programs, see Undergraduate Majors and for graduate programs, see Graduate Programs.

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology is committed to sustaining a thriving intellectual community in which all faculty, students, and staff can do their best work. We embrace open and equitable access to opportunities for learning and development as our obligation and goal. UC Berkeley values the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples, single parents, or those who may have taken time off for family reasons. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit the Office for Faculty Equity & Welfare's website.

PhD (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.