Job Title Postdoctoral Research Associate Agency Texas A&M Agrilife Research Department Horticultural Sciences Proposed Minimum Salary Commensurate Job Location College Station, Texas Job Type Staff Job Description Job Description: Experience in research on ‘foods for health’, Natural products, and secondary metabolites. The person should have a track record of publications, analytical skills, and secondary metabolites. Experience in grant writing and conducting hypothesis-driven research. Communicate effectively with collaborators, industry partners, and stakeholders. Required Education: Doctoral Degree in related field Preferred Experience: Experience in research related to ‘foods for health’, Natural products and secondary metabolites. Responsibilities: + Lead and coordinate lab activities, including scheduling, requisition of supplies, safety, and compliance. + Maintain and troubleshoot laboratory equipment and analytical instruments. + Isolate and purify natural compounds using chromatographic techniques (e.g., column chromatography, HPLC, flash chromatography). + Perform structural characterization of natural products using spectroscopic methods (NMR, MS, IR, UV-Vis). + Conduct bioassay-guided fractionation to identify bioactive compounds. + Apply extraction techniques (e.g., Soxhlet, maceration, ultrasonic, supercritical fluid extraction). + Implement dereplication strategies to identify known compounds efficiently. + Analyze metabolites in plant and biological samples using LC-MS and GC-MS. + Conduct research on the biosynthetic pathways of metabolites in fruits and vegetables. + Investigate the impact of genetic and environmental factors on metabolite production. + Collaborate with research teams on interdisciplinary projects, including the melon integrated project. + Conduct field trials and collect samples across Texas as needed. + Engage in grant writing and produce high-quality publications. + Train and mentor undergraduate and graduate students, as well as visiting scientists. + Develop and lead hands-on training sessions and short courses. + Maintain detailed records, write standard operating procedures, and contribute to safety documentation. + Communicate effectively with collaborators, industry partners, and stakeholders. + Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center. Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: + Strong oral and written communication skills. + Ability to independently design and conduct experiments. + Proficiency in analytical instrumentation for metabolite characterization. + Experience linking bioactives, whole food systems, and microbiota. + Proven record of peer-reviewed publications and scholarly work. + Capability to work in a fast-paced environment with firm deadlines. + Strong teamwork and multitasking abilities. + Competency in statistical analysis tools (e.g., SAS, R, XLstat, Multivariate analysis). + Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook). + Willingness to work evening and weekend hours as required. Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: + Expertise in interpreting LC-MS, GC-MS, Raman spectroscopy, and NMR data. + Experience in metabolic profiling and quantification of bioactive compounds in plants. + Familiarity with computational modeling of structure-function relationships. + Understanding of sustainable food production and plant-based food trends. + Experience in assay development for new compounds and ingredients. + Ability to manage lab inventory, personnel, and research projects. + Strong background in developing and analyzing research findings for scientific publications and presentations. All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check. Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.