Structural Biology Postdoctoral Fellow

Berkeley Lab’s (LBNL) Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (MBIB) has an opening for a Postdoctoral Fellow to use structural biology on global health problems and biopreparedness in response to infectious disease work at the SIBYLS Beamline!

In this exciting role, you will work with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists as part of the ArpaH program, structurally characterizing purified proteins from pandemic-potential organisms and relevant antibodies. The primary technique used will be Small Angle X-ray Scattering, which provides distance information that can reflect protein conformations and complexes in solution. You will work with a team to develop portable instrumentation to enable high throughput SAXS sample handling that can work at other synchrotrons. Through this work, you will develop ties to other national laboratories and within Berkeley Lab, specifically within the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a division within the Computing Sciences Area’s.

This position has an anticipated start date of September 1, 2024.

What You Will Do:

• Characterize proteins from pandemic-potential organisms (e.g., virus, microbes) and relevant antibodies.
• Perform all phases of experimental investigations, including planning, developing, operating, recording, collaborating and reporting of major projects. 
• In collaboration with biological collaborators, develop methods to assess antibody developability and manufacturability.
• Integrate experimental data with outputs from machine learning algorithms.
• Write up timely actionable structural biology reports for collaborators.
• Develop analytical pipelines to automate and accelerate acquiring actionable and insightful information on protein structures.
• Work with other synchrotrons to develop portable SAXS instruments.
• Integrate experimental database information with machine learning algorithms.
• Present status reports, scientific findings, and publish scientific papers at group meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars, and in peer-reviewed journals.
• Provide guidance and train students, technical staff, and other group members as necessary. 
• Participate in development of grant proposals for new research directions and preparation of competing renewals of current research grants.
• Maintain an accurate and detailed online laboratory notebook of all experiments performed and provide sufficient details to ensure methods and results can be duplicated by others.
• Collaborate with program projects that utilize synchrotron beamlines for research and develop new collaborations as appropriate to further the scientific goals of the programs. 
• Partner with other members of the SIBYLS Beamline and the Advanced Light Source (ALS) Division.

What is Required:

• A recent Ph.D. (within the last 1-2 years) in Biological Sciences or related discipline.
• Demonstrated wet lab experience in structural biology and working with proteins.
• Demonstrated computational programming skills including C and Python.
• In-depth understanding of protein, DNA, and RNA structure.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including experience organizing technical information for publication and presentation.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills including experience collaborating with a diverse interdisciplinary research team.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with computational tools in protein engineering.
• Experience with interdisciplinary research.
• Experience crystallographic or SAXS data at a synchrotron.
• Knowledge of national user facility operations.

Notes:

• For first consideration, please apply with a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume by July 11, 2024.
• This is a full time, exempt from overtime pay (monthly paid), 2 year (benefits eligible), Postdoctoral Fellow appointment with the possibility of renewal based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds, and ongoing operational needs. You must have less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience.
• The monthly salary range for this position is $5,643-$6,766 and is expected to start at $5,643 or above. Postdoctoral positions are paid on a step schedule per union contract and salaries are predetermined based on postdoctoral step rates. Each step represents one full year of completed post-Ph.D. postdoctoral and/or related research experience.
• This position is represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes.
• This position may be subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• This position will be performed onsite at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720.

Learn About Us:

Berkeley Lab (LBNL) addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 16 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

Berkeley Lab’s Postdoc Program is committed to providing Postdoctoral Researchers and Visiting scholars with a positive and impactful experience to jump-start their career through premium research and career development, networking opportunities, mentoring programs, and a strong community.  For more information, please visit our Berkeley Lab Postdoc Resources site and our Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association site.

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