OUR ORGANIZATION

Working from a sincere interest in issues of social justice, William Boyce Thompson founded the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) in 1924, believing that basic plant research could lead to real societal benefit. Over the almost 100 years since its founding, BTI has evolved to become a premier life sciences research institution, with scientists conducting investigations into fundamental plant and life sciences research with the goals of increasing food security, improving environmental sustainability in agriculture and making basic discoveries that will enhance human health. BTI, located in Ithaca, New York on the Cornell University campus, employs 150 staff, with scientists from over 40 countries around the world, and has twice been named as one of the Best Companies in New York State.

Summary

Phosphorous is essential for plant growth and in many agricultural soils its availability limits crop yield. Over 70% of flowering plant species (including crops), live in mutualistic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi through which they gain further access to phosphorus. AM fungi grow within the root and also colonize the soil where their extraradical hyphae (ERH) develop extensive networks that capture soil P. Not surprisingly, the ERH interact with the soil microbiota and recent studies identified conserved microbial communities on the ERH surfaces. The overall goal of this AFRI-funded project is to advance knowledge of the AM fungal microbiome and its functions. Building from previous analyses1, the spatial structure of hyphae-associated microbial communities will be mapped using HiPR-FISH2 technology. Community functions will be assessed using synthetic communities whose design will be informed by predicted microbial genome functions, spatial community biogeography and microbial taxonomy.

Requirements: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in microbial genomics, plant-microbiomes or microbiology; a strong publication record and demonstrated expertise with sequence-based microbial community analyses, or analyses of microbiome functions. Experience with microbial genetics, secondary metabolites, chemistry or microscopy is advantageous.

To Apply: Applicants should submit a CV, names of three references and a statement of research interests and relevant experience to Maria J. Harrison, (mjh78@cornell.edu). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Project Location: The Boyce Thompson Institute is a non-profit research institute affiliated with Cornell University and located on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York, www.bti.cornell.edu. EOE M/F/D/V

Literature Cited. (1) Emmett, B.D., Lévesque-Tremblay, V. & Harrison, M.J. Conserved and reproducible bacterial communities associate with extraradical hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. ISME J 15, 2276–2288 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-021-00920-2

(2) Shi, H., Shi, Q., Grodner, B. et al. Highly multiplexed spatial mapping of microbial communities. Nature 588, 676–681 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2983-4

All applications must include a cover letter and resume to be considered.

To prevent the infection and spread of COVID-19, and as an integral part of its public health and safety measures, BTI requires that all successful applicants shall be required to show proof of full vaccination by an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine before beginning employment, unless an exemption from this policy has been granted as an accommodation or otherwise. Applicants believing, they need an accommodation of this policy because of a disability, sincerely-held religious belief, or otherwise should inform Human Resources after an offer of employment is extended; please do not include any medical, genetic, or religious information on your application materials.

The Boyce Thompson Institute provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type in regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to send a request for assistance to btihr@cornell.edu. BTI prides itself on family-friendly policies and is committed to helping its staff achieve career success with an appropriate work-life balance.