Research Associate

The Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES) invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term Research Associate position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Director.

The Research Associate will contribute to the objectives of the newly formed USDA-Agricultural Research Service Pacific Shellfish Research Unit and the project “Improving the Sustainability and Productivity of Shellfish Culture in Pacific Estuaries” This position is being created to advance the work under a Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement (NACA) between the USDA-ARS and Oregon State University.

The incumbent will work with the USDA-ARS Pacific Shellfish Research Unit and the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES) with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of sex determination in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.

Pacific oysters are one of the most important commercial oyster species in the world and important contributors to the U.S. Pacific coast economy. Knowing the sex of individual oysters at the time of spawn is critical for crossing of animals in breeding programs. While Pacific oysters are dioecious (females and males are separate individuals) they lack any secondary sex characteristics making the sexing of individuals a significant challenge. In addition, Pacific oysters show occasional hermaphroditism and multiple events of sex reversal during their lifespan. Understanding the mechanisms that underly sex determination and reversal in this species will help in developing tools for precise and early identification of the sex outcome during spawns. Goals for this project include elucidating molecular mechanisms of sex determination and identifying early markers that can be used to identify sex of maturing individuals.

This position is located at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport, OR.  

For more information please visit the application URL.