Description:
Applications are invited from Masters in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences or similar areas for a 3-year Research Assistant position in the USJ Science and Environment Lab. The position is particularly suited for those interested in simultaneously pursuing a PhD in Science as the research work can be integrated in a PhD project. The work is part of the FDCT funded research project “DISRUPT – Environmental Endocrine Disruptors: Current Situation in Macao, Neurobehavioral Effects and Bioremediation Strategies” (see abstract below). Work will take place in the science laboratories of the University of Saint Joseph and the candidate will be supervised by the project coordinator, Professor David Gonçalves.
Qualifications required:
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a Master degree in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences or other relevant areas. Laboratory experience in analytical techniques in chemistry, molecular biology, immunohistochemistry and/or bioinformatics will be valued. Availability to travel for scientific meetings and for training periods abroad is required. Candidates must be fluent in English.
Selection criteria:
Relevant publications in scientific journals and presentations in international scientific meetings: 35%; Academic qualifications: 25%; Previous relevant laboratory experience: 25%; Interview and reference letter 15%.
Conditions:
Monthly service honorarium of MOP 12500/month, 12 months per year. Travel subsidies to participate in scientific meetings are included. Candidates are expected to start in January 2015. The maximum duration of the service is 36 months.
How to apply:
Candidates should send a motivation letter, CV and one reference letter to davidg@usj.edu.mo until December 31, 2014. Candidates can also use this email for any queries regarding the position. After CV evaluation, short-listed candidates will be called for an interview with the project coordinator.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
DISRUPT – Environmental Endocrine Disruptors: Current Situation in Macao, Neurobehavioral Effects and Bioremediation Strategies
ABSTRACT
Macao is situated downstream to the heavily industrialized Pearl River Delta region. This places the territory and its inhabitants at risk from the effects of exposure to environmental aquatic pollutants originated from industrial activity. Several reports have confirmed high levels of pollutants in the coastal waters of Macao but systematic studies evaluating their prevalence in aquatic ecosystems and their bioavailability in organisms and in the food chain are lacking. The project will focus on a class of pollutants that has been gaining particular attention in recent years, environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs). EEDs are chemical pollutants from various sources that interfere with the endocrine system in both animals and humans and that have been overlooked in many environmental surveys, in spite of a great wealth of research demonstrating detrimental effects on human health in all physiological domains. Although there is no available data for EEDs levels in Macao, their concentration in other areas of the Pearl River is of concern. This situation urges for more studies focusing on the prevalence of these pollutants in the environment in Macao, on their effects in organisms and humans, and on possible remediation strategies. The project is divided into three tasks. First, the levels of some common EEDs in water, sediments and biological samples collected in Macao will be quantified to assess the degree of environmental contamination, bioavailability in aquatic organisms and potential risks to human health. Second, the physiological effects of some of these pollutants on neurologic function and behavior will be tested using as a model species a fish common in Macao coastal waters, and thus potentially exposed to EEDs, the mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris. Third, new possibilities for the use of microorganisms in bioremediation strategies to combat the prevalence of these pollutants in the environment will be investigated.