Research Associate (Postdoc) - Hegg Lab
Applications are invited for a Research Associate-Fixed Term position with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at Michigan State University. The GLBRC is one of four national Bioenergy Research Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The successful candidate will join a diverse and highly collaborative research team and will enjoy the benefits of working in a multi-institution research center. The position will be in the GLBRC research lab of Eric Hegg. Additional information about the Hegg Lab can be found at https://bmb.natsci.msu.edu/faculty/eric-l-hegg/. Individuals with exceptional experience in this field may be eligible for promotion to Senior Research Associate after one year in the position.
The project will focus on probing the enzymatic mechanism of nitrous oxide (N2O) biosynthesis by soil enzymes and using this information to develop strategies to alter activity and N2O release. N2O is a key part of the global nitrogen cycle and also a potent greenhouse gas that is released from agricultural lands. Understanding N2O biosynthesis and mitigating its release is therefore for critical environmental importance.
The primary duties of this position will include cloning, enzyme overexpression and purification of both natural and engineered variants, performing enzyme activity assays, analysis of the isotopic composition of nitrous oxide by both mass spectrometric and spectrophotometric techniques, coordinating activities with team members and GLBRC leadership, and generating progress reports and publications.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Degree: Doctorate -chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, o
Minimum Requirements
Qualifications for this position are:
- PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, or related field
- Strong self-motivation
- Experience in enzyme expression, purification, and characterization (required), stable isotope analysis, and enzyme kinetics and spectroscopy (desired)
- Demonstrated ability to conduct and perform collaborative research and effectively interact with a broad range of colleagues
- Demonstrated independence and ability to perform creative, high-quality research
- Ability to organize and present reports to collaborators and sponsors
- Experience and skill in preparing research publications
Desired Qualifications: Advanced experience in enzyme expression, purification, and characterization, along with stable isotope analysis, and enzyme kinetics and spectroscopy.
All applications must be submitted through the MSU Careers Website. To access this posting, please use this link: https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/504161/research-associatefixed-term