Research Associate - Mellon College of Science - Biological Sciences

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

4h•Onsite

About The Position

Carnegie Mellon University's Mellon College of Science (MCS), within the Biological Sciences department's Zhao Biophotonics Lab, is seeking a motivated Research Associate. This full-time, fixed-term staff position based in Pittsburgh will support two molecular biology projects: engineering and screening fluorescent proteins for improved photostability in advanced imaging, and developing a single-component capsid-based gene delivery system optimized for scalable production in E. coli. The successful candidate will collaborate with graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and the Principal Investigator (PI) on experimental design, protocol execution, and data analysis.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a related field.
Hands-on experience with standard molecular biology techniques (cloning, PCR, protein expression).
Familiarity with fluorescence microscopy and/or fluorescent protein biology.
Strong attention to detail; ability to maintain thorough laboratory records.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced research environment.
A combination of education and proven experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.
Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Nice To Haves

Experience with fluorescent protein engineering or directed evolution.
Experience with viral capsid proteins, VLPs, or gene delivery systems.
Familiarity with E. coli protein expression and purification (IPTG induction, affinity chromatography).
Experience with confocal or widefield fluorescence imaging and quantitative image analysis.
Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or R for data analysis and visualization.
Prior experience in an academic research lab; authorship on publications or preprints is a plus.

Responsibilities

Design, clone, express, and purify fluorescent protein variants in bacterial and mammalian expression systems.
Screen fluorescent protein libraries for improved photostability using high-throughput fluorescence microscopy and plate-reader assays.
Engineer and characterize single-component capsid constructs for gene delivery; optimize yield and solubility in E. coli.
Perform standard molecular biology techniques: PCR, site-directed mutagenesis, Gibson assembly, transformation, DNA/protein gel electrophoresis.
Maintain detailed electronic lab notebooks; analyze imaging and biochemical data using standard software (ImageJ, Python, MATLAB as applicable).
Assist with expansion microscopy (Magnify) experiments including sample preparation, immunostaining, and confocal imaging.
Contribute to preparation of figures, reports, and manuscript sections as directed.
Maintain lab equipment, reagent stocks, and plasmid/cell line inventories.