Michigan State University · 4 months ago
Research Associate-Fixed Term
East Lansing, MI
Full-time
Onsite
Mid LevelMichigan State University's Plant Resilience Institute (PRI) is seeking a highly motivated and skilled postdoctoral researcher to lead a project focused on discovering a new class of regulatory metabolites and their nuclear signaling mechanisms that govern plant resilience. The role involves designing and executing reverse genetic experiments, collaborating on phenotyping and transcriptome analysis, and contributing to data interpretation and manuscript preparation.
EducationUniversities
Responsibilities
Design and execute reverse genetic experiments (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9 knockouts and GFP-tagged overexpressors) to evaluate the functional roles of prioritized candidate genes
Develop and apply protein turnover assays using fluorescent-tagged constructs and metabolite treatments
Collaborate with PRI labs on phenotyping (e.g., drought, heat, insect resistance) and transcriptome analysis
Analyze protein structure using AlphaFold and guide mutagenesis strategies for dominant gain-of-function alleles
Coordinate with internal collaborators on compound screening and ligand-binding assays
Contribute to data interpretation, manuscript preparation, and dissemination of findings through publications and conferences
Qualification
Required
Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, or a related field by the time of appointment
Demonstrated experience with plant transformation, reverse genetics, and phenotypic analysis
Familiarity with gene expression analysis and confocal microscopy
Strong communication, organizational, and team collaboration skills
Preferred
Experience with phytohormone biology or regulatory metabolite research
Familiarity with compound screening or receptor-ligand interaction assays
Background in bioinformatics or phylogenomics a plus
Company
Michigan State University
Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years.
Founded in 1855
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Michigan State University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
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Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (163)
2024 (217)
2023 (224)
2022 (162)
2021 (121)
2020 (66)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$118.22MKey Investors
Carnegie Corporation of New YorkUS Department of EnergyDenso
2025-09-23Grant· $0.9M
2025-03-27Grant· $48.5M
2024-10-30Grant
Leadership Team
Raymond Boeman
Director, IACMI Scale-up Research Facility and Vehicle Technology Area
Stephanie Vasko
Senior Research and Innovation Consultant, MSU College of Arts and Letters
Recent News
2025-12-14
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2025-12-05
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