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Postdoctoral Research Associate
Genetics / Molecular Biology of Host Resistance to Fungal Pathogens
Postdoctoral Research Associate (Plant Molecular Geneticist) available
to investigate the genetics and molecular biology of resistance to the
obligate fungal pathogen, Erysiphe graminis, in barley. The candidate
will be responsible for molecular, genetic, and functional
characterization of gene-specific sequences identified on a 200-kb BAC
contig spanning the Mla resistance-gene cluster. Approaches may
include, but are not limited to, isolation of cDNAs specific for
candidate alleles, characterization of new Mla-mutant specificities,
functional analyses of candidate alleles via barley and wheat
transformation, or use of expressed resistance gene sequences as traps
in the yeast two-hybrid system to identify interacting gene products in
the host and/or pathogen.
These approaches will be facilitated by our well-characterized,
high-resolution, recombinant mapping populations, and will complement
ongoing projects on the genetics of resistance to obligate fungal
biotrophs in cereal crops. Ph.D. in genetics, molecular biology, plant
pathology or related field. Experience in manipulation and cloning of
large DNA fragments, gene mapping, computational analyses, and/or
cereal transformation is desirable. Initial appointment is for two
years; salary starts at $31,897 per year + benefits. Some limitations
on citizenship may apply. Highly-motivated individuals should send
curriculum vitae, reprints, and three references (name, e-mail, phone,
address, and fax) to:
Dr. Roger Wise, USDA-ARS
Department of Plant Pathology
351 Bessey Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA, 50011-1020
Telephone: (515) 294-9756
Fax: (515) 294-9420
E-mail: rpwise at iastate.edu
<underline>
About Iowa State University
</underline>
Ames is a small city of 50,000 people, about half of whom
are students. Affordable housing is available as well as a first-rate
public transportation system. It is also easy to get around town by
bicycle. The city and the University have numerous parks and
recreation facilities, and the Iowa State Center, home of Hilton
Coliseum, C.Y. Stephens Auditorium and Fisher Theater, hosts numerous
music concerts, live performances, and athletic events throughout the
year.
<underline>
About the Wise Lab
</underline>
The PI's laboratory contains ca. 1000 square feet of space and has been
approved by the Iowa State University Biohazards Safety Committee for
work with recombinant DNA at a BL2 containment level. The lab is on
the 4th floor (shared with ten other plant-molecular biology
laboratories) of Bessey Hall on the ISU campus. Sufficient cold
storage facilities are available for long-term storage of seed stocks
in the Seed Science Center across the street. We also maintain a 1000
square foot room equipped with 400-watt sodium lamps in the ISU-Plant
Pathology greenhouse and 3 - 4 growth chambers.
All equipment required for recombinant DNA research is contained within
the PI's laboratory. These items include balances, refrigerators, -20
and -80 freezers, refrigerated high-speed and microcentrifuges,
incubators, incubator shakers; two hybridization ovens, numerous
autoradiography cassettes and intensifying screens; horizontal,
vertical, and two CHEF Mapper pulse-field gel electrophoresis
apparatus; power supplies, water baths, pH meter, and three MJ Research
programmable thermal cyclers. Items available as communal equipment
located in a central-user facility on the same floor include
ultracentrifuges, visible-UV spectrofluorimeter, electroporator, liquid
nitrogen supply, gel dryers, incubator shakers, UV transilluminators
and gel imaging system, autoclaves, speed-vac, water deionizers,
scintillation counter, spectrophotometers, laminar flow hoods, a
PDS-1000 Biolistic Gun (DuPont/Bio-Rad) and a regulated growth room for
tissue culture. An Internet-connected Power Macintosh 8500/200 is
contained within the PI's office, and several other Macintosh computers
are available within the PI's program. Mapmaker version 3.0 is
available through ISU's UNIX mainframe, accessible from a work station
in the Plant Pathology Computer Facility on the same floor as the PI's
laboratory. MapManager v2.6.5 software for Macintosh is currently
licensed by the PI. The UWGCG DNA sequence analysis software on the
University's Vax cluster is accessible directly from the PI's office or
through the Plant Pathology Computer Facility.
<underline>
Other Resources
</underline>
Iowa State University has several centers on campus capable of
assisting in a variety of techniques as well as supplying a wide range
of specialized equipment and expertise.
The newly established ISU Plant Transformation Facility (PTF) provides
maize and soybean transformation services to ISU researchers (advice is
available for other crops as well). Dr. Kan Wang, the director of the
PTF, has extensive industrial experience in the transformation of
maize. The PTF is staffed by two M.S.-level transformation
specialists.
The Nucleic Acids Facility operates a Biosearch 8750 four-column DNA
synthesizer for oligonucleotide synthesis, several Applied Biosystems
Automated DNA sequencers, three Waters HPLC systems for automated
purification of DNA, Perkin Elmer/Cetus thermal cycler, and numerous
computers, digitizers, and plotters. These are operated by two
full-time technicians. ISU will soon have a state-of-the art DNA
microarray facility.
The ISU Bessey Microscope Facility provides a variety of
instrumentation and technical assistance in light, scanning and
transmission electron microscopy and image analysis. Equipment
includes a JEOL 1200/EX scanning/transmission electron microscope
(STEM), a Hitachi HS-8-2 transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a
JEOL JSM-35 scanning electron microscope.
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_____________________________
Roger Wise, USDA-ARS
Department of Plant Pathology
409 Bessey Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
50011-1020 USA
Phone: 515-294-9756
Fax: 515-294-9420
E-mail: rpwise at iastate.edu
_____________________________
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