Protein and Biomaterials Engineering - Postdoctoral Researcher

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory • Livermore, CA

160d • $118,884

About The Position

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to advance research at the interface of synthetic biology, protein engineering, and biomaterials. You will design and engineer proteins and protein-biopolymer hybrid materials with novel biochemical, biophysical, and material properties relevant to our national security mission. This position is in the Microbial Systems Biology group in the Biosciences and Biotechnology Division. This position requires full-time on-site presence due to the nature of the work.

Requirements

• Must be eligible to access the Laboratory in compliance with Section 3112 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
• PhD in Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Biological Sciences, or a relevant field with emphasis in synthetic biology, protein engineering, or biomaterials.
• Strong expertise in molecular biology and protein biochemistry.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in protein engineering to alter or enhance function.
• Hands-on experience with protein purification and biophysical characterization.
• Proven ability to develop independent research projects as demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience generating, sequencing, and analyzing protein variant libraries.
• Familiarity with high-throughput protein design, expression, and purification systems.
• Background in biopolymers or biomaterials research.
• Experience working with intrinsically disordered proteins.
• Experience with biomolecular characterization, including CD, FTIR, and/or SAXS/WAXS.

Responsibilities

• Conduct fundamental and applied research in microbial synthetic biology to enable biosynthesis of biopolymers and biomaterials.
• Develop and apply high-throughput approaches for protein design, expression, purification, and characterization.
• Engineer hybrid biomaterials with advanced structural and functional properties.
• Design and implement assays to characterize proteins and hybrid biomaterials to assess biochemical and biophysical properties.
• Collaborate closely with computational and experimental researchers across LLNL and external institutions.
• Develop research plans, generate results, and publish findings in peer-reviewed papers.
• Present research at conferences, seminars, and/or technical meetings.
• Contribute to proposal development and help expand the program into new areas aligned with your expertise.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees