[BioNews] Post-doctoral Research Associates - Rutgers University

[Luciana Dente]

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Post-doctoral Research Associates - Rutgers University

        One or two post-doctoral research associate positions are available
immediately to study the genomes of eukaryotic phytoplankton including
dinoflagellates, diatoms, and coccolithophorids.  The applicant should be
familiar with basic methods in phytoplankton ecology and/or molecular
biology.   The positions are funded for 5 years by a National Science
Foundation Grant and are part of a multidisciplinary Biocomplexity project
led by Dr. Paul Falkowski.  Rutgers University is an equal opportunity
employer.  Applicants should send a CV, a statement of research interests,
and the names of three references to:

Dr. Costantino Vetriani
Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
71 Dudley Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8521 USA
Tel: (732) 932-6555x373
Fax: (732) 932-6520
e-mail: vetriani@imcs.rutgers.edu

Or

Dr. Lee Kerkhof, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences,
Rutgers University,The State University of New Jersey
71 Dudley Road,  New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8521.
Tel     (732) 932-6555 ext 335
Fax    (732) 932-6520
e-mail--kerkhof@imcs.rutgers.edu

Abstract of Project:
This proposal is about the origin, radiation, and ecological success of
three groups of eucaryotic phytoplankton, namely dinoflagellates,
coccolithophorids, and diatoms. The fossil record indicates that these
three groups of phytoplankton rose to taxonomic and ecological prominence
in the Mesozoic Era, between 250 and 65 Ma. The focus of this
multidisciplinary research program is to understand the historical origins
and environmental conditions that led to selection and radiation of the
modern dominant eucaryotic phytoplankton taxa, and the ecological processes
that contribute to their continued success in the contemporary ocean. The
proposed research utilizes a combination of geological, molecular
biological, ecological, and modeling approaches to address an important and
complex, tractable yet unsolved puzzle in Earth system science. The fossil
record will be compared to phylogenetic history reconstructed from a suite
of functional genes and gene products from the extant dominant marine
photosynthetic eucaryotes. The phylogenetic efforts will focus on
reconstructing the timing of their evolutionary history and the tempo of
their evolution.
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