Postdoctoral Scholar - CICOES Sustainable Shellfish

Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

Title: Postdoctoral Scholar - CICOES Sustainable Shellfish

The College of the Environment fosters existing and new collaborations between outstanding faculty, staff and students who are engaged in the study of: the solar system and Earth’s dynamic land, water and atmosphere; the development and application of environmental engineering and technological advances; and the impact of policy and human actions on the environment, and the management of natural resources.

The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) is dedicated to sustaining healthy marine and freshwater environments. Our school comprises one of the largest and most diverse academic aquatic and fisheries sciences program in the United States. Our faculty conduct innovative research from the organism to the ecosystem scale, and are recognized leaders in aquatic biology, sustainable fisheries management, and aquatic resource conservation.

The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences values the strengths and professional experience that students, faculty, and staff bring to our community. We are committed to providing excellent education to all of our students, regardless of their race, gender, class, nationality, physical ability, religion, age, or sexual orientation. We are proud of the different roles that our students, staff, and faculty play in the community of the School and in the College of the Environment. We recognize that science is richer and the SAFS community is more vibrant when a diverse group of people participate the SAFS community.

Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.

Background

The overarching goal of the research is to use innovative ‘omics approaches to address challenges facing the development and expansion of sustainable shellfish aquaculture.  The primary research focus is the assessment of ocean acidification (OA) sensitivity of the native littleneck clam versus the non-native, but commercially important, Manila clam in adult and larval stages and the identification of molecular mechanisms underlying parental carryover effects by via transcriptional (gene expression) profiling of gametes. The incumbent will also support research aimed at the development of new technologies to achieve sterility in cultured shellfish.  This is collaborative research between researchers at the University of Washington and NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center. The postdoc will be responsible for conducting controlled OA experiments and comparing growth, survival and gene expression profiling in gametes in clams. The postdoc will also support experiments to optimize germ cell elimination methodology for shellfish. This research will be performed primarily at NOAA NWFSC Kenneth K. Chew Center for Shellfish Research and Restoration located at the Manchester Research Station in Port Orchard, Washington.

Responsibilities include:

• Molecular analyses: Paper and electronic laboratory notebook generation and quality control; Lab equipment maintenance; lab buffer preparation; DNA, RNA, protein extraction, qualification and quantification, and sample library preparation for next generation sequencing or proteomics analysis
• Field work: travel as necessary for field experiments, sample collection, and physical measurements
• Wetlab: marine invertebrate culture; automated CO2 control culture system usage; wetlab equipment maintenance; wetlab notebook generation and quality control
• Computational work: Open online lab notebooks; reproducible statistical analyses; coding in R and bash
• Presentation and Publication: written and oral summary of results; report and publication writing; outreach and education; website and online media contributions; presentations at scientific conferences.
• Communication: Meetings with PI and collaborators in personal or virtual, and timely (within ~48hr) response to emails and phone calls.
• Mentoring: Mentoring and training of technicians graduate, undergraduate, and high school students. Work collaboratively in a team setting and participate in group meetings.

Qualifications

Qualifications: PhD or foreign equivalent in Biology, experience working with larval and juvenile bivalves, experience in bioinformatics and/or statistical analysis using R, Superior written and oral communication skills as evidenced by publications and conference oral presentations; ability to work in a multidisciplinary and collaborative setting.

Desired (non-essential) background: Previous experience with functional genomics datasets (e.g. RNA-Seq) and/or previous experience with development and/or maintenance of experimental bivalve culture systems (tanks, plumbing) and larval and juvenile bivalve rearing.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All
qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed,
religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information,
gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.

Commitment to Diversity

The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian,
staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint
(http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code
recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal
opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and
responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).