ASARI - Postdoctoral Position in Molecular Stress Biology of Opportunity Crops for Arid Regions

Entity: ASARI

About UM6P:

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is an internationally oriented institution of higher learning, that is committed to an educational system based on the highest standards of teaching and research in fields related to the sustainable economic development of Morocco and Africa. UM6P is an institution oriented towards applied research and innovation. On a specific focus on Africa, UM6P aims to position these fields as the forefront and become a university of international standing.

More than just a traditional academic institution, UM6P is a platform for experimentation and a pool of opportunities, for students, professors and staff. It offers a high-quality living and study environment thanks to its state-of-the-art infrastructure. With an innovative approach, UM6P places research and innovation at the heart of its educational project as a driving force of a business model.

About Entity (Hiring entity):

ASARI is positioning itself as a regional center of excellence in CRISPR genome editing, with a focus on advancing opportunity crops tailored to the marginal regions of Africa. These areas, defined by arid and saline conditions, require innovative solutions to overcome the challenges posed by climate change and resource scarcity. As part of this initiative, ASARI has reviewed and published a selection of crop species with significant potential for adaptation to these challenging environments. Additionally, we have identified key gene families and their specific targets that can be enhanced through genome editing technologies. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of these resilient crops across Africa's marginal lands, bridging the gap between cutting-edge genome editing tools and the unique agricultural needs of marginal African communities. 

Description of the position:

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled post-doctoral research fellow to join our team. The successful candidate will focus on unraveling the transcriptional regulation of the candidate genes we have profiled and their associated target phenotypes in selected crops subjected to drought and salt stresses. This will be a key step in determining editing modalities.  Therefore, the ideal candidate will be expected to conduct homologous overexpression, gene silencing, sequence analysis and contained phenotyping. 

Education

 A PhD in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics, or a closely related field

Requirement

• Solid experience in nucleic acid isolation, PCR, RT-qPCR, and gel electrophoresis 
• Solid experience in gene overexpression and/or silencing  
• Proven knowledge in either four of these bioinformatics tools: BLAST, Ensembl, InterProScan, Primer3, MEGA, MAFFT, Phytozome, Bioconductor, Geneious, Clustal Omega
• Proficiency in R
• Knowledge of plant stress biology 
• Good communication skills in English 
• Ability to work as a team  
• Solid publication track record in SCI-journals