Research Specialist

24 hours per week, distribution of work hours is flexible

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development, and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local childcare centers and special rates for performing arts events.

The Department of Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of new and existing knowledge in the broad discipline of Biology by maintaining a high-quality faculty who integrate cutting-edge research and student-focused teaching.

We are one of the largest academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. We have over 3,450 majors and we enroll undergraduate students in over 7,870 seats in our classes each semester. Each fall or spring semester, we offer 52 classes (70 sections) and 13 lab courses (93 sections). Our average total annual expenditure exceeds $24 million, with nearly half of that coming from grant sponsored research. Our department has nearly $70 million in active grants to support our twin missions of research and teaching. Our large research base spans many areas of biology and supports several outstanding graduate programs. We consist of 48 tenure-track faculty, 12 teaching faculty, 5 research faculty, and numerous active adjunct and emeritus faculty who are engaged in basic and interdisciplinary research and teaching, both within the department and between other departments and schools at UNC.

We currently have 50 graduate students and 30 post-docs and employ approximately 85 additional graduate and undergraduate students from across the university to assist in our teaching and research missions. Further, we are supported by an administrative staff of 20, with an additional 20 staff directly supporting research.

The Lee Lab in the Department of Biology aims to define a role for nuclear glutathione signaling in plant development and regeneration. In the Arabidopsis root tip stem cells can be manually excised, which induces fate-specified cells to reprogram back to stem cells. I showed that nuclear glutathione coordinates cell cycle behavior after root tip injury, which in turn is necessary for efficient regeneration to occur. However, the molecular basis of glutathione-based cell cycle regulation is unknown.

Work in the lab will address how glutathione is localized to the nucleus, and what glutathione interacts with in the nucleus to regulate cell cycle behavior. The lab will use tools we developed to conduct genome-wide screening of nuclear glutathione regulators. The lab will use proteomics, next generation sequencing, and scanning mutagenesis to identify nuclear glutathione interactors controlling cell cycle progression. These approaches will yield a comprehensive model for glutathione-based cell cycle regulation during regeneration and can be generalized to study other metabolites that regulate development.

The successful applicant will assist in the establishment of high throughput localization regulator screening approaches to be used in plant cells. This will include the following techniques and responsibilities: A) plant tissue culture, B) protoplast generation and transfection, C) stable line generation, characterization, screening, and documentation, D) LR, golden gate, and Gibson assembly-based cloning, E) careful documentation of experimental procedures and results, D) data analysis.

Bachelor's degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Experience in a research lab.

Molecular Biology: RNA and DNA isolation, PCR, qPCR, Cloning using Golden gate assembly technique, Library preparation for bulk RNA-seq and scRNAseq, Protoplast isolation, Nuclei isolation

Plant Biology: Agrobacterium mediated transformation, Callus induction, Tissue culture, Rice and Arabidopsis cultivation, Plant crossing

Image acquisition and processing: Confocal microscopy, Time-lapse imaging using robotic imaging system, Image analysis using ImageJ, MorphoGraphX

Computational tools: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Benchling, RNA-seq/scRNA-seq tools such as DESeq2

Use of stairs and hazardous working conditions are both possible aspects of this position.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.