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Postdoctoral applicants

We welcome applications from individuals interested in postdoctoral training to get in touch by email. A Ph.D. in plant biology, cell biology, molecular genetics, developmental biology, or related fields is required. Applicants should be enthusiastic, creative, organized, and highly motivated. Excellent communication skills and a strong publication record are expected.  Conveniently located between Boston and New York, New Haven has a wide range of cultural resources that include major museums, a critically-acclaimed repertory theater, state-of-the-art concert hall, and world-renowned schools of Architecture, Art, Drama, and Music.

To apply for a postdoctoral position, please send the following to vivian.irish@yale.edu:

  1. A cover letter outlining your previous experience, summary of research accomplishments and explaining your specific interest in this our lab and your vision for the type of project you would like to carry out.
  2. Your curriculum vitae/résumé.
  3. The names and contact information of three references.

 

Graduate Students

Prospective graduate students should email Vivian about their interests. Students interested in joining the lab should apply for admission through the interdepartmental BBS program or through the EEB department at Yale.

Undergraduates

We welcome undergraduates interested in learning plant molecular and developmental genetics to join our group and gain lab experience.  Please email Vivian about opportunities for undergraduate research and how Yale undergraduates can receive course credit for their research.

Post-Baccalaureate positions (posted Nov 15, 2022)

Two post-baccalaureate positions available at Yale University to work on transformation and genome engineering in Citrus

Two positions are currently available to work on a USDA-funded interdisciplinary project in the laboratories of Vivian Irish and Yannick Jacob at Yale University (Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology). The U.S. citrus industry is facing unprecedented challenges from the spread of citrus greening disease (i.e Huanglongbing or HLB) in citrus-growing states like Florida, Texas and California. The overall goal of this USDA-supported project is to utilize the extensive molecular information available for HLB infected citrus to develop a large-scale population of CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited citrus plants that can be screened for tolerance to HLB. Position 1 will focus on training in plant tissue culture and transformation and position 2 will center on training in molecular genetics. For more information on the project, please see the project website at: https://crisprcitrus.org/.  

Training

For position 1, training will include learning basic laboratory handling of chemicals and reagents, sterile technique,  tissue culture approaches, plant husbandry, database management and other relevant skills.  For position 2, training will include developing skills in bioinformatics, DNA extraction, PCR, and other molecular techniques.  If desired, the PGA can learn additional techniques related to the project. The PGAs will meet with the entire team on a weekly basis to discuss project progress, and are encouraged to take advantage of lectures, departmental conferences, and other opportunities to enhance their research expertise.  Anticipated start date will be January 2, 2023 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

Mentorship

The PGA will be mentored by a postdoctoral associate on a daily basis, to learn and apply skills to the project needs. The goal is to develop a degree of research independence, while learning to working closely and effectively with members of a team. In addition, the PGA will meet with the P.I. of the project on a weekly basis to discuss weekly project progress, professional growth, and longer term career goals. Additional informal mentorship will come from working closely with other lab members and collaborating with other researchers with overlapping scientific interests.

Education 

Applicants with a recent B.A. or B.S. degree in biology, plant science, biochemistry, genomics, or other related fields are encouraged to apply.  Highly motivated individuals with experimental and/or computational skills are especially welcome. The position is for 1 year (extendable for one additional year with a 2 year maximum).

To apply, please send a CV to Vivian Irish (vivian.irish@yale.edu) that includes the names and complete contact information of three previous supervisors/mentors or referees. A brief cover letter describing which position interests you, your current scientific interests and career goals, and how they would fit with the research projects would be helpful. Please write “CITRUS APPLICATION” in the subject line of the email.