The Lancaster Photosynthesis Team is excited to be recruiting two new Postdoctoral positions to contribute to the large multinational project RIPE: Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency for Sustainable Increases in Crop Yield. We are seeking two enthusiastic postdocs (Research Associates) to work in Plant Biochemistry and Plant Bioinformatics. These roles will contribute to the goal of improving Rubisco and its regulation in the legumes cowpea and soybean, in both fluctuating and steady-state conditions.

RIPE is funded by a sub-contract from the University of Illinois through the generous support of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR). The goal of this project is improve the productivity and sustainability of crops like cowpea, a vitally important crop for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. As part of this project, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with a large team at Lancaster and within the broader project, to do world-leading research towards improving photosynthesis and improving the livelihoods of African farmers.

We are seeking people to work in the following areas (see links for full job description):
– Plant Biochemistry, with a focus on studying Rubisco, Rubisco activase and the interactions between these critical enzymes. This will involve both in vitro studies with recombinant proteins, and analysis of diverse germplasm of cowpea and soybean.

– Plant Bioinformatics, with a focus on understanding the genetic basis of variation in plant response to fluctuating light, with a focus on the regulation of Rubisco. This will include leading GWAS analyses, in addition to designing and executing experiments that take advantage of other NGS techniques (e.g. RNAseq).

All applications must be submitted through the Lancaster University Jobs portal located here.

For both positions, applications close on Saturday, September 7th.

Informal enquiries can be directed to the PIs of the project: Dr Elizabete Carmo-Silva e.carmosilva@lancaster.ac.uk , or Prof Martin Parry m.parry@lancaster.ac.uk.

The direct links are: Plant Biochemist: https://hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=A2772

Plant Bioinformatician: https://hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=A2771