The Plant Conservation team at the Institute for Conservation Research and the Horticulture Department at San Diego Zoo seek a Plant Cryobiology Postdoctoral Associate to investigate and refine protocols for cryopreservation of IUCN endangered Quercus dumosa shoot tips, embryos, and pollen.  In the course of this fellowship, the Postdoctoral Associate will have opportunities to work with plant cryopreservation scientists, including Dr. Raquel Folgado at The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, Dr. Valerie Pence at the Center for Research on Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and Dr. Christina Walters at the National Laboratory for Genetics Resources Preservation (NLGRP). At San Diego Zoo Global, the Postdoctoral Associate will report to Dr. Joyce Maschinski, Institute for Conservation Research, SDZG and Center for Plant Conservation, and work closely with Christy Powell, San Diego Zoo Horticulture.  The Postdoctoral Associate will work at The Huntington and CREW to develop a reliable in vitro (tissue culture) recovery system for Q. dumosa embryos and shoots. Tests of antioxidants and cryoprotectants on tissue types will determine optimal cryopreservation procedure. With SDZG staff, the Postdoctoral Associate will collect acorns, pollen and shoots from populations in U.S. and Baja California and measure habitat ecological traits. At NLGRP, the Postdoctoral Associate will explore plant traits, refine tests of cryopreservation and tissue culture and contribute to a large meta-analysis of oak characteristics and liquid nitrogen/ tissue culture success.  The aim is to crystalize our understanding of general patterns influencing cryopreservation success.

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