Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Job Category
Faculty Non Bargaining

Job Title
Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Department
UBCO | Faculty | Department of Chemistry | Irving K. Barber Faculty of Sciences (Robert Szilagyi)

Posting End Date
March 21, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date
May 31, 2025

Starting salary: CA$ 55,000 – 60,000

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER

Plant BioCoRe Lab

Department of Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

https://plantbiocore.ok.ubc.ca/

The Plant Bioactive Compounds Research (Plant BioCoRe) group, led by Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang, integrates biochemistry, chemistry, bioinformatics, and molecular genetics to elucidate and engineer the biosynthesis of valuable small molecules from medicinal plants. Our ultimate aim is to learn and translate natural metabolism into innovative biotechnologies to meet the ever-increasing demands of high-value chemicals. Our current projects involve discovering biosynthetic enzymes and pathways, generating alkaloid structural and functional diversities, and re-constituting natural product metabolism in synthetic biology chassis.

Plant BioCoRe is located on the Okanagan Campus of the University of British Columbia, a close-knit yet fast-growing community right in the heart of the beautiful Okanagan Valley.

We support inclusivity and equity. We seek qualified applicants from all backgrounds (cultural, gender, racial, etc.) to ensure that our team gets the best talents and reflects the diversity of our campus.

PROJECT: Development of new oxidative biocatalysts for the sustainable production of pharmaceutical compounds

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN PLANT-DERIVED BIOCATALYSIS

Closing date: March 25, 2023

Expected starting date: June 1st, 2024 or as soon as thereafter

Starting salary: CA$ 55,000 – 60,000

Hours per week: 40 hours

Duration: 36 months (12 months and renewable depending on performance and funding availability)

Job description: Dang’s group is dedicated to advancing knowledge in the field of biocatalysis, with a specific focus on harnessing the catalytic power of plant-derived enzymes. We are currently seeking a highly motivated and innovative Postdoctoral Researcher to contribute to our cutting-edge research in plant-derived biocatalysis.

Responsibilities: The postdoctoral researcher will conduct research into the systematic development of new oxidative biocatalysts for the sustainable production of pharmaceutical compounds. Duties include (and not limited to)

Isolate, characterize, and optimize biocatalysts from plant sources for various applications. Investigate the enzymatic pathways in plants and identify key enzymes for targeted biocatalytic processes. Design and implement experiments to enhance the catalytic efficiency of plant-derived enzymes. Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate plant-derived biocatalysts into sustainable and eco-friendly processes. Analyze and interpret experimental data, and prepare research findings for publication in scientific journals. Mentor and collaborate with students involved in related research projects.

The postdoctoral researcher will be working independently and in the team under the supervision of the line manager (Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang), and collaborating with colleagues from the group as well as other research groups. They will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project, including experimental planning and execution, data collection and analysis, discussion and presentations in various meetings (lab meetings, conferences, workshops, etc.), report/publication writing, and related duties. The position holder is also expected to supervise, train, and advise students and other junior lab members, as well as deliver guest lectures. The post holder will be advised by the principal investigator, Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang, in regular one-to-one meetings and relevant discussion channels.

ACTIVITY SUMMARY

• Planning and performing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, troubleshooting, and planning further works: 70%

• Preparing and submitting manuscripts for publication, presentations to internal as well as national and international audiences: 10%

• Undertaking training: 5%

• Training junior lab members, discussing/advising colleagues, teaching: 10%

• Other relevant duties agreed with the PI: 5%

REQUIREMENTS

• Education: PhD (fully awarded or expected within 6 months) in one of the following disciplines: biochemistry, molecular biology, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, plant biology, and biological chemistry, microbiology. (essential )

• Knowledge in specialized (secondary) metabolism and alkaloid biosynthesis (essential ).

• Expertise in enzymology, molecular biology, structural biology biochemistry, microbiology, and analytical chemistry

  • Gene cloning, plasmid construction, transformation, etc (essential)

  • Protein expression and purification in plants and microbes (essential)

  • Enzyme in vivo and in vitro assays (essential)

  • Small-molecule compound extraction and purification from various systems (essential)

  • Soluble and membrane protein purification (essential)

  • Diverse crystallization techniques, X-ray crystallography (essential).

  • RNAseq, Genome sequencing and analysis (desirable)

  • ‑labeled protein preparations (desirable)

  • HPLC, LC-MS, GC-MS, TLC skills (desirable)

• Good basic bioinformatic and general computer skills (PyMOL, Chimera, AlphaFold, DiffDock, Graphpad Prism), and proven ability to learn and apply new skills (essential)

• Excellent understanding of plant specialized metabolism (desirable)

• Proven ability to carry out innovative research with publishable outcomes

  • Evidence of intellectual independence, rigour, and creativity (essential)

  • Relevant first-author publications in high-caliber peer-reviewed journals (essential)

• Excellent organization and record-keeping skills (essential)

• Good communicative, collaborative, and interpersonal skills:

  • Oral presentation experience to academic audiences at national and international meetings (essential)

  • team working skills with proven ability to collaborate with internal and external colleagues with publishable outcomes (essential)

  • Ability to train colleagues and students for laboratory and other research skills (essential)

  • Proven ability to teach/deliver lectures to various audiences (essential)

  • Experience working with diverse groups of colleagues and/or clients (desirable)

• Additional requirements:

  • Ability to accept and value equity and diversity, and to accept the expected values for staff members at UBC (essential)

  • Attention to detail (essential)

  • Willingness to travel including taking overseas trips for collaboration and/or conference purposes (essential)

All qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application package in one continuous file by March 20, 2024 to Workday and should include:

• CV/Resume

• Cover letter/Research Statement

• 3 referees

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, raci

alization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.