Post-Doctoral Research Geneticist

Job Details

A. Assigned Responsibilities

The incumbent serves as a Post-Doctoral Research Geneticist at the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center (NCWMAC) in Orono, ME. The incumbent will join a research team on the CRIS project ‘Improving North American Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture Production.’ As a member of the research team, the incumbent will conduct research relevant to the genetic improvement of Atlantic salmon. The incumbent will have freedom to co-develop their own lines of inquiry with their supervisor or choose among several well-defined projects pertaining to quantitative and population genomics of Atlantic salmon. Examples include, 1) Characterize the genomic architecture of and correlations among traits of commercial interest using genomic data (i.e., growth, survival, fillet quality, age at maturity, and disease resistance); 2) Develop low-density genotyping panels and whole genome imputation pipelines; 3) Examine the phenotypic and genetic diversity of sea lice and lumpfish to aid in developing therapeutic mitigation strategies. This research is a component of ARS National Program 106 – Aquaculture. The incumbent’s research contributes to a coordinated approach to the development of improved germplasm through an applied, multi-disciplinary research program to produce strains that exhibit superior aquaculture traits.

 B. Research Objectives and Methodology

 Specific objectives include: (1) develop bioinformatics pipelines to improve genomic predictions for traits of interest; and (2) examine the genomic basis of correlated traits in salmon. Genetic data will be utilized, including whole genome sequencing data, high-density SNP Chip genotypes, and amplicon panels. Analyses will be conducted using bioinformatics pipelines, quantitative genetic programs, and R.

 C. Expected Results

 The research is expected to result in the development of bioinformatics tools that will increase the number of traits in, and prediction accuracy of, a multi-trait genomic selection index used to improve germplasm for industry. The characterization of genomic architecture of key priority traits will contribute to our understanding of the Atlantic salmon genome and will aid efforts toward the production of faster growing, healthier, more efficient strains for aquaculture. Additional avenues of inquiry may inform other program goals, such as the development of therapeutic mitigation strategies for sea lice and other diseases of concern. Research results will be presented at technical meetings and scientific conferences and published in appropriate peer-reviewed journals to communicate the significance of findings to stakeholders.

Requirements

Incumbent must have a thorough knowledge of genetics and genomics workflows, a strong foundation in bioinformatics pipelines, and an understanding of the biology and culture of fish, particularly salmonids. Requires the ability to define research problems, perform required background investigations, develop appropriate experimental and statistical designs, execute research plans, organize and evaluate results, and report findings. Incumbent must be able to identify research needs and display ingenuity and originality in the application of concepts and techniques from the major areas of emphasis to research studies. In addition, effective writing and oral skills are essential for communication within the research team.

Contact Information

Qualified applicants should send a CV and cover letter to Samuel.May@usda.gov