Postdoctoral Research Associate - The Skellam Lab

Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate - The Skellam Lab

Employee Classification: Postdoctoral Research Assoc

Campus: University of North Texas

Division: UNT-Provost

SubDivision-Department: UNT-College of Science

Department: UNT-Biological Sciences-121100

Job Location: Denton

Salary: Compensation is competitive and commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and discipline, in accordance with university guidelines and available funding.

FTE: 1.00

Retirement Eligibility: ORP Eligible

About Us - Values Overview

Welcome to the University of North Texas System. The UNT System includes the University of North Texas in Denton and Frisco, the University of North Texas at Dallas and UNT Dallas College of Law, and University of North Texas Health Fort Worth. We are the only university system based exclusively in the robust Dallas-Fort Worth region. We are growing with the North Texas region, employing more than 14,000 employees, educating a record 49,000+ students across our system, and awarding nearly 12,000 degrees each year.   We are one team comprised of individuals who are committed to excellence, curiosity and innovation. We are transforming lives and creating economic opportunity through education. We champion a people-first values-based culture where We Care about each other and those we serve. We believe that we are Better Together because we foster an environment of respect, belonging, and access for all. We demonstrate Courageous Integrity through setting exceptional standards and acting in the best interest of our communities. We are encouraged to Be Curious about opportunities for learning, creating, discovering, and innovating, and are encouraged to learn from failure. Show Your Fire by joining our team and exhibiting your passion and pride in your work as part of our UNT System team.   Learn more about the UNT System and how we live our values at www.UNTSystem.edu.  

Department Summary

The Departments of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, and the BioDiscovery Institute, at the University of North Texas are equipped with modern facilities for all aspects of the research and have a strong community of research groups in biochemistry and molecular biology for a stimulating intellectual environment.

Position Overview

The Skellam lab at the University of North Texas is seeking a highly motivated and determined Postdoctoral Research Associate with experience in manipulating / engineering eukaryotic cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) for biotechnological use. This position will investigate the use of P450s as biocatalysts in Nicotinana benthamiana and / or filamentous fungi, testing approaches for enhancing interactions with redox partners, ensure correct anchoring, and designing mutagenesis experiments to diversify substrate scope.

The project is highly interdisciplinary and will require knowledge and experience of molecular biology, fungal / plant cell biology, protein modelling, and analytical chemistry techniques. The successful candidate will join a team consisting of postdocs, research assistants, graduate and undergraduate students, in a highly collaborative environment. This project provides opportunities to learn additional techniques such as confocal microscopy, metabolic engineering, and natural product chemistry techniques. Further responsibilities include the day-to-day management of the project, manuscript and proposal writing, presenting original research internally and externally at meetings and conferences, and mentoring students at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Minimum Qualifications

• The candidate should have completed their PhD in biochemistry or a related field and have experience and interest in engineering P450 enzymes in eukaryotic hosts
• Experience with molecular biology techniques such as gene cloning, plasmid construction, PCR, RT-PCR, Western blots and bioinformatic skills to aide in experimental design
• Proficiency with protein structural predictions and protein purification
• Ability to work independently

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with agrobacterium / protoplast -mediated transformation
• Experience with molecular modelling / docking
• A passion for developing biotechnology solutions
• Good interpersonal skills and a team-working attitude
• Interest in training and mentoring students

Required License/Registration/Certifications