Job Description Summary

Organization's Summary Statement: Position Summary: Postdoctoral Associate position in plant genome engineering at Dr. Yiping Qi lab (https://qilab.weebly.com/), in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland, College Park. The Qi lab is interested in studying plant immunity and developing plant genome engineering and delivery tools for basic and applied research.

Duties and Responsibilities: The postdoctoral associate will conduct mechanistic investigations of non-host immunity in plants. The postdoc is responsible for the independent and collaborative development, implementation, and analysis of scientific research in plant innate immunity. Responsibilities include molecular characterization of candidate genes involved in non-host immunity in Arabidopsis and rice. The tasks include hypothesis development, literature review, collection of pilot data, report writing, supervising undergraduate research students and graduate research students, interacting with collaborators in both academic and private sectors, overseeing data collection procedures, supervising experimental procedures, review of data for quality control, supervision of data entry/data analysis, analysis of research hypotheses using descriptive and multivariate statistics, and the development of independent and collaborative presentations and high-quality publications.


Physical Demands:

Qualifications:
Required: Less than two years since obtaining a Ph.D. in plant molecular biology/plant science or horticulture/agricultural science field.

Preferred: at least one first-author or co-first research publication in these plant journals—Nature Plants, Molecular Plant, PNAS, Plant Biotechnology Journal, Plant Communications, Plant Cell, New Phytologist, Plant Physiology, and Plant Journal.

Preferences: Experience working in plant-microbe interactions, plant responses to environmental stresses (cold or heat), and plant molecular biology. The postdoctoral associate should have bioinformatic skills tailored for genomic analysis, protein annotation, and functional sequence comparison. Standard molecular biology techniques and experience are required, such as DNA and RNA isolation, PCR, RT-PCR, quantitative PCR, RNA-seq, PCR amplicon sequencing, Southern blot, protein expression and purification in E.coli, protein evolution, protein extraction and analysis with Western blot, and gel electrophoresis of DNA, RNA, and protein. Proficient molecular cloning skills are preferred, such as conventional cloning, TA cloning, Golden Gate cloning, Gateway cloning and Gibson assembly, and the use of vector construction software. Additional preferred skills are plant protoplast transformation, plant tissue culture, confocal imaging and bioinformatics. Prior experience with protein molecular evolution is a plus. The individual must have excellent writing and communication skills and be able to coordinate activities with faculty, other scientists, collaborators, staff, and students. The ability to multitask and work on several projects simultaneously, as well as good time management and organizational skills are necessary. Candidates who have demonstrated associately excellence by publishing multiple high-quality peer-reviewed papers are preferred.

Licenses/ Certifications: NA

Application Materials Required: 1) a cover letter expressing your research interest, 2) a most recent CV, 3) one representative first author publication, and 4) contacts of three references

Additional Job Details

Required Application Materials: 1) a cover letter expressing your research interest, 2) a most recent CV, 3) one representative first author publication, and 4) contacts of three references

 

Best Consideration Date: 10/15/2026

 

Posting Close Date: 10/23/2026

 

Open Until Filled: Yes

 

Financial Disclosure Required

Department

AGNR-Plant Science & Landscape Architecture

Worker Sub-Type

Faculty Regular

Salary Range

$50,000 - $60,000

Background Checks

Offers of employment are contingent on completion of a background check. Information reported by the background check will not automatically disqualify anyone from employment. Before any adverse decision, the finalist will have an opportunity to provide information to the University regarding disclosable background check information. The University reserves the right to rescind the offer of employment or otherwise decline or terminate employment if the information reported by the background check is deemed incompatible with the position, regardless of when the background check is completed.

Employment Eligibility

The successful candidate must complete employment eligibility verification (on Form I-9) by presenting documents that establish identity and work authorization within the timeframe required by federal immigration law, and where applicable, to demonstrate renewed employment authorization.  Failure to complete employment eligibility verification or reverification within the timeframe set forth by law may result in suspension or termination of employment.

EEO Statement

The University of Maryland, College Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. Please read the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Policy.

Title IX Non-Discrimination Notice

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