*Postdoctoral position in the microbial management of urban and peri-urban agricultural systems*
The Microbiome Manipulation Lab at the University of Toronto – Scarborough ( https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/labs/microbiomemanipulationlab/) seeks a postdoctoral associate *to address the potential for on-farm management of microorganisms across the Greater Toronto Area.* The selected candidate will work within a large multi-institute project funded by SSHRC-NSERC, including both academic and outside partners, which aims to develop effective processes for optimizing urban agriculture, while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. In this project, the selected candidate will assess the links between soil traits, microbial sources, and whole microbiome selection approaches, to guide the functional trajectories of soil microbiomes. Microbiome selection approaches will consider best recommendations from the literature, common on-farm approaches (e.g. compost tea development), and the selected candidate’s own ideas. There will also be opportunities to work on other aspects of this collaborative project that relate to microbial management, including microbial influx to urban systems and the sensitivity of different plants to microbiome modifications. In addition to program objectives, there will be substantial opportunity for the candidate to explore their own ideas and develop an independent research program. There will also be opportunities to collaborate with other members of our group, other groups at UTSC, and other research groups within our network, and to pursue various professional development activities. Our lab is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and I encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Holistic review is used to assess the unique strengths of each applicant. Minimum salary is $55k + benefits, with the possibility to increase if the candidate recruits at least some independent funding (e.g. https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/grad-edu/utsc-postdoctoral-fellowship-program). *Primary duties and responsibilities* · Perform the research described for our portion of this collaborative project, while adhering to performance timelines · Contribute to project reporting and collaborative meetings · Exchange data, materials, and ideas with collaborating institutes and partners · Generate and explore independent ideas related to the goals of the project/research group *Preferred qualifications* · PhD in a field relevant to environmental microbiology · Experience with research in microbiology/microbial evolution/microbial ecology · Experience in at least high-throughput amplicon sequencing; additional bioinformatics experience is an asset · Experience with bacterial cultivation, in-lab bacterial growth assays, plant growth assays, and field work will be considered assets · Publications in peer-reviewed journals · Skills in organization, time management, and adherence to timelines · Collaborative research experience *About the institute* The University of Toronto at Scarborough (UTSC) is one of three campuses of the University of Toronto, is located at the eastern end of the city near Rouge National Urban Park, and hosts an exceptionally diverse group of domestic and international students. The University of Toronto is Canada’s top-ranked university, currently #17 in the US News: Best Global Universities Ranking and #1 in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability. UTSC hosts world-renowned faculty in many project-relevant areas, including sustainable agriculture, biodiversity assessment, environmental chemistry, and plant science. UTSC is the major site of new construction and facilities at the University of Toronto, with many of its buildings constructed in the last 5-10 years. Additional world-class facilities, including a second medical school for the university, are in development. UTSC also houses the Pan Am Centre, a legacy of the 2015 Pan-American games, which includes diverse and well-supported athletics facilities that are available to staff, students, and the public. *To apply* An ideal start date would be ~May 2025; however, this can be negotiated based on the needs of the selected candidate. Please forward 1) a *cover letter* that addresses fit to the position and how the position could help the candidate move towards their career goals, 2) a *complete CV*, and 3) contact information for *three professional references* to [email protected]. I will consider applications as they are received. Applicants should *submit before January 10, 2025* to ensure full consideration. To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://community.esa.org/confirm/?u=RhPWqPxFwODKvbkiT32nkIqRrsiSgulp
