Postdoc (Illinois): Plant Phenotyping and Remote Sensing in Bioenergy Crops

The Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is hiring a postdoctoral researcher for plant phenotyping in bioenergy crops. The role involves using UASs and satellites for data collection, coordinating efforts across institutions, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in relevant fields and strong programming skills. This position is onsite and offers access to world-class resources.
The Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to advance high-throughput tools for plant phenotyping in bioenergy crops. We conduct exciting research at the intersection of biology, remote sensing, and data analytics to investigate the factors contributing to the adaptability, sustainability, and productivity of these crops across the United States.

Position Overview

The researcher will investigate and validate the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and low-orbit high-spatial resolution satellites (e.g., Pleiades Neo, Planet SkySat) to determine traits of interest including spatial and temporal variability of plant composition and productivity affected by contrasting growing conditions across the country.

The candidate will:
• Define and monitor the field campaign to match data collection efforts of both ground-truthing and remote sensing data.
• Implement scripting solutions for ingesting and calibrating remote sensing data and ground-truthing data for further analysis.
• Investigate and implement modelling directions…

Key Responsibilities
• Coordinate and organize data collection efforts across multiple collaborating institutions.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of plant scientists, computational biologists, and environmental scientists.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at national and international conferences.
• Mentor undergraduate students as needed.

Qualifications:
• A Ph.D. in computational biology, crop science, agricultural engineering, or environmental science.
• Knowledge, experience, and proficiency at the intersection of plant/crop sciences, remote sensing principles, and digital image processing.
• Demonstrated programming skills in Python for managing and automating the analysis of large datasets.
• Strong background in statistical analysis and computer vision frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, Tensorflow).
• Proven ability in scientific writing and code implementation (e.g., GitHub), preferably in remote sensing and computer science-related topics applied to plant science.
• Self-starter, ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team; excellent communication and organizational skills.

Why work with us?

This is an excellent opportunity to develop innovative research at the intersection of data analytics and remote sensing applied to plant science. This position is a key part of an initiative that strength the collaboration between multiple DOE-funded centers, which brings an unique setting to contribute as part of a multi-disciplinary team of scientists including experts in plant biology, computational biology, and environmental sciences. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive research environment. As part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, you will have access to world-class resources and facilities and the opportunity to engage with a large community of leading researchers at the forefront of plant science.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit the following materials:
• A cover letter describing your research interests, experience, and career goals.
• A detailed curriculum vitae (CV).
• Contact information for three professional references.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please email your application materials as a single PDF file to Jennifer Quebedeaux (quebede2@illinois.edu).

Contact Information

For inquiries about the position, please contact: Sebastian Varela (sv79@illinois.edu), Bin Peng (binpeng@illinois.edu) or Andrew Leakey (leakey@illinois.edu).