The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) is a dynamic non-profit research organization using science to impact the world. Our research groups focus on human genomic medicine, infectious disease, plant, microbial and environmental genomics, synthetic biology and biological energy, bioinformatics, and software engineering. We are looking for self-motivated, inquisitive minds to learn with us in asking and finding the answers to questions that progress the field of genomics. Recent advances in sequencing technologies have generated an unprecedented volume of viral genomic data, opening new avenues for applying advanced data analytics and machine learning techniques to study pathogen evolution. For viral pathogens, however, genotype alone does not fully determine host range, tissue tropism, or antigenicity. Even small deviations in the primary amino acid sequence can lead to minimal or substantial structural changes, depending on the properties of the substituted side chains. Conversely, different primary sequences can sometimes yield structurally similar proteins. In this project, the candidate will work closely with researchers from both the Infectious Diseases team (Tan Lab) and the Informatics team (Qian Lab) in La Jolla, CA. The focus will be on developing computational methods to predict and compare the structures of viral glycoproteins, leveraging viral sequence data and correlating with neutralization assay results. The goal is to produce a data-driven structure-informed design approach for optimizing immunogenicity of vaccine candidates based on integration of sequential, structural, and functional characteristics.
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Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Education Level
Master's degree