Postdoctoral Researcher (Chemistry)

Amherst • Amherst, MA

3d • $63,000 - $65,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Amherst College invites applications for the Post-Doctoral Research Assistant (Chemistry) position. This is a full-time, fixed-term (2-year) position with an expected salary range of $63,000 - $65,000 per year. The salary offered will vary based on factors including relevant education, training, experience, tenure status, and other nondiscriminatory business considerations. Amherst College provides a comprehensive and highly competitive benefits package. This position is a full-time, limited-term, post-doctoral research assistant in the Marcus lab (MLab) with a flexible start date as early as January 1, 2027. The position will last for two years (24 months) with the opportunity for renewal. The MLab is dedicated to studying the biophysical and biochemical consequences of protein evolution, with a specialty in p-loop NTPase mechanisms. They employ both wet lab and computational approaches to understand the ‘rules’ underpinning protein-protein interaction selectivity and allosteric regulation. There is also a growing interest in understanding how generative AI interfaces with evolutionary patterns to make predictions of protein structures. An ideal candidate would be comfortable not only bringing their own techniques to the lab but also learning new approaches to answer fundamental questions about protein chemistry.

Requirements

• PhD in Biochemistry, Chemistry, or related field.
• At least three years of experience executing supervised biochemical research.
• Demonstrated interest in carrying out independent research.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication.
• Ability to work collaboratively.
• Desire to train and support undergraduate students with various levels of research experience.
• Successful completion of required reference and background checks.
• An acceptable criminal offender records information (CORI) check.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience in at least two of these techniques: Molecular cloning at large scale and plasmid design.
• Familiarity with E. coli-based reporter assays.
• Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) sample preparation and data analysis.
• Protein purification via FPLC.
• Enzymatic and biophysical assays (such as kinetic assays, ITC, etc).
• Computational tools, such as molecular dynamics and machine learning (ex. AlphaFold, ESMFold).

Responsibilities

• Execute and publish independent research.
• Partner with current Amherst College undergraduates to help move forward their thesis research projects.
• Train new undergraduate research students.
• Lab-Based Biochemical and Biophysical Research (dependent on candidate’s skillset and interests).
• Utilize modern computational approaches to biochemical and biophysical data analysis (such as bioinformatic pipelines and Python-based data analysis packages).
• Complete literature review.
• Contribute to the writing of research articles and grants submitted by the lab.
• Provide mentorship and training in the lab for staff of undergraduate researchers.
• Maintain a clean and safe lab space.

Benefits

• Comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree