BACKGROUND:
The Strawberry Molecular Genetics and Genomics Laboratory at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral research associate to conduct genomics and bioinformatics research. This position will provide ample opportunity for the motivated scientist to conduct productive research and publish high quality manuscripts.

The University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu) is a Land-Grant and Sea-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 60,000 students. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (http://ifas.ufl.edu) includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (http://cals.ufl.edu), the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (http://research.ifas.ufl.edu), the Florida Cooperative Extension Service (http://extension.ifas.ufl.edu), the College of Veterinary Medicine (http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu), the Florida Sea Grant program (http://www.flseagrant.org ), and encompasses 17 on-campus academic departments and schools, 13 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain).

The GCREC is home to 19 UF faculty and has been rated as one of the top workplaces in the Tampa Bay Area. The research center is located 25 minutes from downtown Tampa and 2 hours from the UF main campus in Gainesville, FL.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The successful candidate will participate in processing and analyzing next generation sequencing data to characterize the complex genome structure of octoploid strawberry. This large genomic data set will be applied for the discovery of genes associated with fruit quality, flavor, and disease resistance. Also, the appointee is expected to work closely with other researchers and students in the strawberry breeding program and assist in the analysis of sequence data for several ongoing projects.

REQUIREMENTS:

• PhD degree in Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genomics, or related life sciences discipline
• Ability to develop new bioinformatics tools for the strawberry molecular breeding program
• Ability to work closely and harmoniously with the team of scientists in the strawberry genomics and breeding programs
• Excellent communication and writing skills, independent problem solving, self-learning abilities, self-motivation and creativity
• Excellent academic record

PREFERENCES:

• At least 2 years of experience providing bioinformatics supports to scientists, or postdoctoral experience in bioinformatics/genomics
• Working or collaborative experience in plant breeding programs
• Programming skills with Java, C/C++, or Perl and efficiency in Linux/Unix operating systems
• Ability to develop web-based support tool for genomics-assisted breeding
• Proficiency in analyzing large-scale sequence data and complex genome assembly
• Experience in RNAseq, RenSeq, target region capture sequencing, Fosmid/BAC library construction and sequencing

TERMS:
The position is available immediately, and initial appointment is for two years. A renewal of the appointment will be contingent based on success of research program (individual performance and publications) and funding availability.

COMPENSATION:
The minimum salary is $47,500, commensurate with experience.

See http://postdoc.aa.ufl.edu

HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates for this position are encouraged to send a cover letter (maximum 3 pages with statement of research interest), curriculum vita, and contact information for three references to Dr. Seonghee Lee (seonghee105[at]ufl.edu).

DEADLINE:
1/31/2017