Postdoc position in the Pauly lab

For a time period of 3 years. Payment will be according to the German TV-L13 scale. The position is available from March 2020. 

The economically competitive utilization of plant biomass is hindered by its recalcitrance to degradation. The dominant component of plant biomass is lignocellulose, a sophisticated, complex composite made of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. The structure of lignocellulose needs to be loosened in order to be optimally converted to commodity chemicals by thermochemical or microbial means. In a forward genetic screen our lab has identified several non-transgenic corn mutants that have advantages in their lignocellulosic properties in their non-food tissues i.e. leave and stalk tissues. Utilizing such agricultural waste residues will be key to moving the bioeconomy forward.The project aims at identifying the genetic basis for the observed lignocellulosic chemotype in those corn-mutants. Besides genetic and NextGen sequencing methods also a variety of analytical methods will be utilized to describe the lignocellulose in detail.

 Your profile: Applicants should hold an excellent PhD degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or comparable topics. Candidates should be team players, have good communication skills and good knowledge of the English language. Experience in genetics, molecular biology, and/or carbohydrate analytics is preferred. A background in corn genetics is a plus. The position will require attention to detail, strong skills in experimental design and troubleshooting, and an ability to pursue research projects independently.

• Contact

Prof. Dr. Markus PaulyInstitut für pflanzliche Zellbiologie und BiotechnologieHeinrich-Heine-UniversitätUniversitätsstrasse 1 Geb. 22.07/ ZSL 004D-40225 Düsseldorf m.pauly@hhu.de