Post-doctoral Scientist at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Post-doctoral Scientist to lead laboratory and field studies to evaluate roles of plant beneficial microbes on the adaptation and agronomic performances of Brachiaria grass.

ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centers dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world.

Background

BecA-ILRI Hub program at ILRI has been working on endophytes and plant associated microbes of Brachiaria grass (Brachiaria spp.), an important tropical forage of African origin for the past seven years. We have established a collection of over 900 microbes, documented microbial communities, and subset of these microbes have been tested for their potential roles in plant growth, development and resilience to climate change in laboratory and greenhouse environments. Currently, we are examining roles of these microbes for drought tolerance, nutrient acquisition, disease resistance and biomass production of Brachiaria grass in field environment. This research aims at exploitation and use of native plant beneficial microbes to increase availability of quality forage to smallholder livestock farmers in Africa by improving resilience of Brachiaria grass against multiple abiotic and biotic stresses. 

Responsibilities

• Microbial isolation, identification and characterization, inoculum preparation, plant inoculations, documenting agronomic and physiological performance.
• Conduct research to understand how naturally occurring plant beneficial microorganism(s) contribute to the drought tolerance, nutrient acquisition, disease resistance and overall performance of the host plants.
• Develops and apply environmental microbiology techniques to study dynamics of naturally occurring microbial communities over time.
• Participate in team discussions aimed at the design of new experiments, reports on results of research including publishing in peer review scientific journals, giving presentations at institutional meetings and national and international conferences.
• Contribute in grant writing
• Co-supervise research associate, research officers and visiting scientists

Requirements

• Ph.D. in plant molecular biology, plant microbe interaction, molecular microbiology or related disciplines in the last three years
• Two or more years of research experiences on molecular biology, plant microbe interaction, genomics and transcriptomics
• A good knowledge of theory and practices of modern biosciences.
• Proficiency in bioinformatics and biological statistics
• Evidence of publications in peer review journal and participation in national and international meetings
• Strong interest in and commitment to African agricultural research and development.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English

Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya

Duration: The position is on 18 months fixed term. The possibility of extension exists pending individual’s performance and the availability of funds. 

Terms of Appointment

This is position is at job level HG 16 and it is open to both national and international applicants. ILRI offers a competitive salary and benefits package which includes; medical and other insurances.