Postdoctoral Research Associate (Plant Virology)

Location: Bushland, Texas, United States. The role requires work in laboratory, greenhouse, growth-chamber, and field environments, local travel to research sites, and occasional work outside standard business hours.

Salary: Commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications.

Company

Texas A&M AgriLife Research is a Texas A&M University System agency conducting agricultural and life-sciences research across Texas.

What you will do

• Lead research on plant virus–arthropod vector interactions, vector competence, pathogen acquisition, dissemination, and transmission.
• Design and conduct molecular, functional genomic, insect behavior, acquisition, and transmission experiments under laboratory, greenhouse, growth-chamber, and field conditions.
• Apply PCR, RT-PCR, RT-qPCR/qPCR, molecular diagnostics, sequencing, and other nucleic-acid-based methods to detect and quantify plant pathogens.
• Analyze genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, small-RNA, and other high-dimensional biological data using statistical and bioinformatic approaches.
• Prepare manuscripts, research proposals, technical reports, conference presentations, and other scientific communications.
• Manage research projects, biological materials, insect colonies, equipment, supplies, records, and laboratory operations while mentoring junior researchers.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Entomology, Plant Pathology, Plant Virology, Molecular Biology, Biology, Biotechnology, or a closely related field.
• Research experience in insect vector–plant pathogen interactions, plant virology, insect molecular biology, vector biology, or molecular plant pathology.
• Strong experience with nucleic acid extraction, cloning, PCR, RT-PCR, RT-qPCR/qPCR, sequence analysis, and related molecular assays.
• Ability to independently design, execute, troubleshoot, analyze, and interpret complex experiments and maintain reproducible research records.
• Peer-reviewed publications, strong scientific writing, quantitative analysis, data visualization, and communication skills.
• Valid Texas driver’s license or ability to obtain one within 45 days of employment; ability to work with plants, insects, biological samples, and research materials in field and controlled environments.

Nice to have

• Knowledge of thrips, aphids, wheat curl mites, or other arthropod vectors and their transmitted plant pathogens.
• Experience with RNA interference, virus-induced gene silencing, transient expression, protein–protein interaction assays, or other functional genomic approaches.
• Experience with genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, small-RNA analysis, bioinformatics, or molecular diagnostic assay development.
• Knowledge of plant virus biology, infectious clones, viral genetics, plant antiviral responses, or solanaceous crop systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment spanning entomology, plant pathology, molecular biology, genomics, breeding, and epidemiology.
• Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance with employer contributions.
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave, plus automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• Professional development and training through Aspire, LinkedIn Learning, and internal programs.
• Employment may require H-1B sponsorship; Texas A&M AgriLife will not pay a potential $100,000 H-1B filing fee, and a Texas moratorium may affect new sponsorship cases.

Hiring process

• Submit complete application data or a resume, answer all application questions, and provide a CV/resume.
• Employment is contingent on credential verification and completion of a criminal history investigation.