Post-Doctoral Fellowship Position in Forestry Molecular Genetics

Applications are invited for an OCE Postdoctoral Fellowship in Applied
and Functional Molecular Genetics of Forest Trees, a three-year
post-doctoral appointment with the Ensis Molecular Genetics Team in
Canberra, Australia. Ensis is the joint forces of CSIRO (Australia) and
SCION (New Zealand) and provides leading science to transform and
enhance the economic, environmental and social benefits from forests and
forest industries. Ensis has research sites across Australia and New
Zealand, with the Ensis Molecular Genetics Team being based in Canberra,
Australia. The Ensis Molecular Genetics Team's main research focus is
the identification and analysis of genes and gene variants involved in
wood formation, in radiata pine and eucalypts. In particular, our Team
performs leading research in the emerging field of association studies
in forest trees.

We invite applications from interested individuals to join our dynamic
team in performing an applied and functional molecular genetics project
in forest trees. The main activities of our group are identification of
candidate genes for wood formation of radiata pine and eucalypts,
functional analysis of candidate wood genes including, and performing
association studies between gene variants (single nucleotide
polymorphisms, SNPs) of candidate genes and various wood traits in order
to identify significant SNPs that are associated with desirable traits
that can be used in breeding programs.

One interesting area of our research is studying the functional
significance of some of the significant SNP markers, as well as the
discovery of SNPs affecting gene expression levels, by using allelic
expression imbalance (AEI). The postdoctoral fellow (PDF) would join a
dynamic team at a time when many interesting wood fibre genes are being
discovered. The PDF will study the AEI of a range of important wood
fibre genes identified in association studies, as well as investigating
for molecular mechanisms giving rise to the AEI. Identification of
molecular mechanisms underlying AEI may provide new insights into the
role of differential expression of alleles in regulating the biology of
the tree. To further characterise the biological function of selected
genes and gene variants, the PDF would also conduct in vitro studies in
model species, such as Arabidopsis and also in eucalypt and pine tissue
systems.

Applications close 6 November 2006. For more information and
application details see:
[Only registered users see links. ] , or,
[Only registered users see links. ] <http://www.csiro.au/> ; and search for: "Careers", then
follow links:/ Awards Fellowships and Scholarships / Postdoctoral
Fellowships at CSIRO 2007 / Forest Trees: Applied and Functional
Geneticist.



Dr Colleen MacMillan

Research Scientist - Molecular Biology

Ensis - Genetics

phone: +61-02-62818361

post: POBox E4008, Kingston, ACT 2604, Australia

location: Building 1, Wilf Crane Crescent, Yarralumla, ACT, Australia



Ensis: the joint forces of CSIRO and SCION

[Only registered users see links. ] & [Only registered users see links. ]