A postdoctoral research associate position in plant biochemistry and synthetic biology is available in the laboratory of Feng Chen in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee. The successful candidate will employ interdisciplinary approaches — including molecular biology, biochemistry, and genomics — to elucidate plant biosynthetic pathways for secondary metabolites of interest, and to engineer these pathways into target crops for enhanced stress resistance. This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of the grant.
The successful candidate will:
Develop and test hypotheses on the plant biosynthetic pathways leading to secondary metabolites of interest.
Perform metabolic engineering in plants and evaluate transgenic plants for stress resistance.
Design and conduct research experiments, analyze data, and summarize results.
Contribute to scientific publications and conference presentations.
Mentor undergraduate researchers.
Work closely with the principal investigator to execute research objectives.
Required Qualifications:
Education:
PhD in Plant Biology or a related field is required.
Experience:
Demonstrated experience (e.g., publications) in plant biochemistry and metabolic engineering.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience:
Experience in plant secondary metabolism is highly desirable.
Work Location:
Compensation and Benefits:
Application Instructions:
To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before October 7, 2026.
Point of Contact:
About The College/Department/Division:
The Department of Plant Sciences, part of the Herbert College of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, addresses agricultural and environmental challenges through teaching, research, and Extension. We offer programs in plant sciences and landscape design, conduct research in crop production, genetics, plant physiology, and sustainable agriculture, and support growers and industry partners across Tennessee.
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The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee.