Post-doctoral Positions at the US Salinity Laboratory – PFAS in agriculture
Due to expansion of our PFAS research program, two postdoctoral positions looking at the dissemination, mitigation, and degradation of PFAS in agricultural systems are available at the US Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, California. The successful candidates should have a Ph.D degree, a demonstrated ability to publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals, experience working with PFAS or similar compounds, and an ability to work well both individually and as part of a team. Candidates with more than 5 years of previous post-doctoral experience may be considered for appointment at the Assistant Project Scientist level. The incumbents will be based at the US Salinity Lab and employed through a cooperative agreement with UC Riverside (Department of Environmental Sciences). Collaboration with our UCR colleagues is expected.
Position 1: Understanding the fate and transport of PFAS in agricultural systems. PFAS enter agriculture via the use of biosolids and irrigation with recycled water. The incumbent will experimentally assess the transfers of PFAS from these media into soils, plants, and soil fauna. Optimization of the use of biochar as a remediation strategy to mitigate these transfers will also be studied. Experience in the following areas would be beneficial: setting up and running of large scale pot studies, lab techniques for the extraction of PFAS from environmental samples, and sample analysis using LC-MS/MS. A Ph.D in soil science, plant science, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, or similar is required.
Position 2: Assessing the potential for microbial degradation of PFAS in agricultural systems. In-situ degradation of PFAS has the potential for remediating contaminated soils. The incumbent will undertake experimental work to identify, quantify, and optimize the mechanisms driving PFAS degradation and biotransformation in water-soil-plant systems. Experience with isolating and culturing microbiota from environmental media as well as using real-time qPCR and ddPCR is required. The incumbent should also be familiar with R statistics or SAS, as well as metagenomics and bioinformatic analyses. A Ph.D in microbiology, biochemistry, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, or similar is required.
About UCR, USDA-ARS, and Riverside:
UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The US Salinity Lab (USDA-ARS) is located on the UCR campus. It has several scientists with expertise in various areas, including microbiology, environmental chemistry, contaminant fate and transport, plant physiology and biochemistry, molecular genetics, and modeling. It holds adequate lab space, analytical and microbiology instruments, as well as greenhouses and outdoor lysimeter tanks for plant studies.
Riverside (The City of Arts and Culture) is located in southern California, between Los Angeles and San Diego and close to Irvine and Temecula, but with a living cost more affordable than Los Angeles or San Diego. It has a Mediterranean climate with warm/hot weather in the summer and pleasant weather in the winter, always with a lot of sunshine. Riverside is located about 1.5 hours from beaches and mountain communities. Outdoor activities for leisure time are plentiful, as is good food. Riverside has lots of diversity.
For more information or to apply, contact:
Dr. Daniel Ashworth
Research Soil Scientist USDA-ARS
US Salinity Lab, Riverside, CA
daniel.ashworth@usda.gov
Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and names/contact details of three academic references.