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Geneticist - Environment Canada
If possible, please could you pass this around to any of your colleagues
or anyone who may be interested in a position here at Environment Canada
for a geneticist, posted for only this one week. The position is
actually posted as a 'Physical Scientist', a generic description that is
assigned here by the Human Resource Dept to the position - any
potential applicant should ignore this and persevere with the link and
also not be discouraged by the eligibility criteria in terms of
citizenship - the preference is given to Canadian citizens, but if no
suitable Canadians qualify then the field is opened up to anyone from
other countries (providing they pass the Inland Security Screening).
the link is
https://psjobs-emploisfp.psc-cfp.gc.ca/psrs-srfp/applicant/page1800?toggleLanguage=en&psrsMode=1&poster=76276&noBackBtn=true
In essence, the position would entail running the genetic lab and
developing the scientific programme and genetic protocols to assess
abundance, toxin &/or other secondary metabolite production (eg
infochemical/allelocheical/deterrent etc.) or genetic capacity among
cyanobacteria and other potentially harmful or nuisance species in field
and lab samples; this might include related work with ecophysiological
or grazer studies (buoyancy control/chemical ecology etc.).
The scientist that is hired would have a lot of scope to develop the
programme and research within my group. We have an analytical lab (with
analytical capacity for toxins, volatile and other secondary
metabolites, as well as regular water quality measures like nutrients,
dissolved and suspended organic and inorganic material, etc.), a
cyanobacterial/algal culture collection (>100 (mainly freshwater)
strains from different phyla), incubators, project owned or access to
lab and field instrumentation including a GC-MS, HPLC, a compound,
dissecting and 2 inverted phase contrast and fluorescence microscopes
with cameras and Casy® cell counter system, multifunctional plate
readers (fluorescence/luminescence/adsorption), UV-VIS and 2 benchtop
spectrophotometers, fluorometers (PhytoPAM, Fluoroprobe, Phytoflash and
Cytobuoy submersible moored flow cytometers), field profilers (YSI,
SCAMP MicroProfiler) , microarray analysis system, DGGE, RT-PCR &
gradient thermal cycler, electrophoresis gel imaging equipment etc. We
have a fully supported field programme which uses large ships (Great
Lakes), smaller boats, divers etc. Our current research involves many
internal and external partners from academic, government, public and
private sectors, and includes the following
I. Water quality assessment and management strategies; source water
protection and management in the Great Lakes and other source waters;
threats to drinking water in the Great Lakes including human pathogens;
harmful/nuisance algal blooms and related impairments in Great Lakes and
other source-waters; remediation and management of drought and
climate-stressed source waters.
HABS (harmful algal blooms), NAMS (i.e. noxious algal
metabolites: toxins, taste-odour) and other algal
impairment and management in the Great Lakes
nutrient and algal/cyanobacteria field programs, Lake
Erie/Lake Ontario
chemical ecology of odour compounds and other harmful
metabolites
biochemical tracers for toxin-producing cyanobacteria
HABs/toxins/anoxia in Lake Erie: nearshore/offshore:
nutrient loading, shoreline influences and small- and
large- scale circulation on water quality
blooms and eutrophication issues in Sturgeon Bay (Lake
Huron); advisory panel on remedial options and
management; joint lead on project to develop the use
of conventional and new sampling technologies to
assess cyanobacteria blooms in this system
integrated sourcewater monitoring programme in Lake
Ontario to combine spatial/temporal variation in
physical processes, meteorological and watershed data,
water quality, microbiota (cyanobacteria, algae,
picocyanobacteria) and apply faecal indicators and
pathogens to identify wastewater plumes
identification of hazards and threats and preliminary
delineation of Intake Protection Zones for all the
Ontario municipal water intakes on Lake Ontario
benthic cyanobacterial mats in Lake Erie and the St
Lawrence River - impairment (taste-odour, toxins,
fouling), genetic profiling and controls
II. Source water remediation, protection and management in Lake Winnipeg
and drainage area
A. Harmful/nuisance algal blooms and related impairments; assessment of
bioavailability of major nutrient loads to Lake Winnipeg; Physical
Limnology Studies in Lake Winnipeg- measurements and modelling
bioavailability of nutrient sources in major inflows
into Lake Winnipeg and potential link with
noxious/harmful algal outbreaks in the lake
internal sediment nutrient loading and
modelling of physical processes in the lake and
potential effects on composition, distribution and
abundance of algal blooms
B. Development of research and monitoring to assess factors driving
noxious/harmful algal outbreaks in key waterbodies in the Lake Winnipeg
basin Source water remediation, protection and management Lake of the
Woods (LWBI); harmful/nuisance algal blooms and related impairments;
assessment of major external nutrient loads to LOW; physical
measurements and modelling role of anoxia
Physical processes in the lake and potential effects
on composition, distribution and abundance of algal
blooms & major nutrient and hydrological inputs
regards
Sue
Dr Sue Watson
Research Scientist
Aquatic Ecosystem Management Research
Canada Centre for inland Waters,
National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada.
867, Lakeshore Rd. Burlington, ON L7R 4A6. Canada.
Ph: (905) 336-4759 (Office); 905 336 4726 (Lab);
Fax: (905)336-4699);
sue.watson@xxxxxxxx
http://www.nwri.ca/staff/susanwatson-e.html