ESEARCH SCIENTIST: NATURAL PRODUCTS CHEMISTRY, PARTICULARLY
PLANT SECONDARY METABOLITES
ONE POSITION IS AVAILABLE
Position Title: Researcher (Investigador Titular A).
Employment Status: Full-Time, 12 months. The appointment is renewable depending
upon performance and funding. After three years, candidates can apply for tenure.
General Description: The selected candidate is expected to lead research in the area of
plant secondary chemistry in research programs on plant-insect and plant-pathogen
interactions, focused mainly on the chemical basis of plant resistance. The successful
candidate will join Biomimic, a multidisciplinary team working on the chemical basis of
plant resistance that will cover the ecochemical importance of phenolic compounds,
cyanogenics, alkaloids, glucosynolates and their potential synthesis. Studies will also
include research on plant secondary metabolic pathways (e.g., phenylpropanoid
biosynthesis) when plant resistance enhancers, growth regulators are applied on fruit
trees. Secondary metabolite characterization, gene expression and its influence on plant
resistance phenotype will also be analyzed with the aim of identifying genes and markers
of importance for breeding programs and the development of resistant cultivars.
To foster a broad understanding of the aims of the Biomimic cluster among the new
scientific staff, once recruited, the candidate will spend a period of 2-6 months in CIMAV
(Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados), CIQA (Centro de Investigación en
Química Aplicada) or CICY (Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán) to establish
productive collaborations, write collaborative grants, and to foster long-term research
projects. The candidate will then return to the brand new facilities equipped with state-ofthe
art technologies to perform high quality academic and technological studies. The
recruited natural products chemist will actively collaborate with agronomists, biologists,
ecologists, molecular biologists, chemists, biochemists, and microbiologists to produce
novel solutions to Mexico’s most pressing problems/challenges. The recruited scientist will
also meet on a regular basis with industry and government representatives to identify
demands, common interests and suitable funding sources.
Responsibilities:
Carry out research at the cutting edge of knowledge.
Carry out research towards the elucidation of the function of organic compounds,
specifically plant secondary metabolites related to plant resistance in plant-insect and
plant-pathogen interactions.
Developing and improving advanced analytical (HPLC, LC-MS-TOF, GC-MS, FT-IR)
and bromatological methods to quantify and identify nutrients and secondary
metabolites in tissue.
The candidate will collaborate extensively with other researchers of the Biomimic
cluster and will participate in collaborative studies related of plant chemistry.
Teaching in INECOL Master’s and Doctorate programs.
Supervising graduate and undergraduate students.
Write competitive grants to fund research activities submitted to Mexican and
international organizations/government agencies, and also to commercial companies.
Publish high quality papers in internationally recognized scientific journals, and
occasionally in books, national and outreach journals and popular magazines intended
for the general public.
Write or help write patents.
Help recruit talents for science and technology among primary, secondary and high
school students.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology or a closely related
discipline with a doctoral degree in biotechnology.
At least one postdoctoral position in area of expertise.
Special attention will be granted to those candidates having obtained outstanding
research achievements during their doctoral studies.
Experience of analytical techniques such as UHPLC, LC-MS-TOF, GC-MS, FT-IR
spectroscopy.
Experience living and working in Latin America is desirable but not required.
Fluency or a willingness to learn Spanish, both spoken and written, is required; as are
written and spoken skills in English.
Excellent interpersonal and multitasking skills, ability to negotiate, to deal with
pressure, complex situations and stress.
Work outside of regular business hours including weekends and travel is occasionally
required.
Commitment to ethics/scientific integrity.
Ability to work with private sector as well as government agencies.
Skills in constructing and working in multidisciplinary teams as part of multidisciplinary
projects.
A spirit of collaboration/team working and service to society.
A driving license.
Authorship of at least 5 recent scientific publications (at least three as first author or
corresponding author), in high quality international indexed journals.
Interested candidates from Mexico and elsewhere in the entire world should send their
updated Curriculum Vitae and additional support material of particular value for members
of the Search Committee (e.g., citation record, relevant awards, narrative of particular
achievements or contributions to science) to Dr. Guillermo Angeles, Secretario Académico
at secretaria.academica@inecol.edu.mx always cc’ing maluja.dirgral@inecol.edu.mx.
Three letters of recommendation are needed as well as the e-mail addresses and
telephones of three established scientists/professors that have agreed to be interviewed
on the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. An additional letter by the candidate
expressing interest in the job, explaining how exactly her/his training/experience fits the job
description, and expressing her/his willingness to strictly adhere to the principles of
collaboration, team working, networking and scientific integrity is also needed. Any
questions should be addressed to Dr. Guillermo Angeles.