1 postdoctoral position in AI-guided protein design (M/F)

CNRS; France; Presencial; EUR 42 000 - 54 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

CNRS, in Paris at Institut Pasteur, invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position in the Computational Structural Biology Unit. The successful candidate will lead AI-driven protein design projects, collaborate with experimental teams, and contribute to publications and tool development.

The role emphasizes coordinating collaborations across institutes, designing computational pipelines, and communicating results at international conferences, with supervision of students when

Qualificações

• PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, biophysics, chemistry, physics, or a related field.
• Strong background in structural biology, biophysics, or molecular modeling of proteins.
• Good programming skills, particularly in Python.
• Experience with protein structure prediction and design tools (AlphaFold, RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN, etc.).

Responsabilidades

• Develop, adapt, and implement state-of-the-art AI methods for protein design.
• Coordinate scientific collaborations and monitor project progress.
• Disseminate research findings through publications and conferences.
• Contribute to development and sharing of computational tools and software.
• Supervise students and interns when appropriate.

Conhecimentos

Python

Biophysics

Protein design

Collaboration

English communication

Formação académica

PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, biophysics, chemistry or physics

Ferramentas

AlphaFold

RFdiffusion

ProteinMPNN

PyTorch

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Biologie Moléculaire Structurale et Processus Infectieux Research Field Chemistry Physics » Biophysics Biological sciences » Biological engineering Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 9 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Apr 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon 2020 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

A two-year postdoctoral position is available in the Computational Structural Biology Unit, led by Dr. Max Bonomi. The unit is part of CNRS UMR3528 and the Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry at Institut Pasteur (Paris, France).

The successful candidate will primarily focus on developing and applying state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) methods for protein design. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with experimental teams at Institut Pasteur and other research institutions, with the aim of addressing biological questions and designing proteins with specific properties and functions.

The successful candidate will also be responsible for coordinating scientific collaborations associated with the projects, analyzing and interpreting results, and disseminating research findings through scientific publications and presentations at international conferences. They will actively contribute to the scientific activities of the unit and to the development of new computational approaches in structural biology.

• Develop, adapt, and implement state-of-the-art artificial intelligence methods for protein design, including generative models, diffusion models, and protein language models.
• Design and optimize proteins with specific structures, properties, or functions, according to the scientific objectives of the projects.
• Develop computational pipelines integrating sequence generation, structure prediction, and in silico evaluation of designed proteins.
• Analyze and interpret simulation and prediction results, and propose strategies to improve the performance of the methods employed.
• Work closely with experimental teams to define design objectives, select candidates for experimental testing, and integrate experimental results into iterative optimization cycles.
• Coordinate scientific collaborations and monitor the progress of joint projects with teams at Institut Pasteur and other partner institutions.
• Contribute to the development, documentation, and sharing of computational tools and software developed within the unit.
• Present research findings at scientific meetings, seminars, and international conferences, and contribute to the preparation of scientific publications.
• Participate in the scientific activities of the unit and contribute to the supervision of students and interns when appropriate.

The Computational Structural Biology Unit, led by Dr. Max Bonomi, is part of CNRS UMR3528 and the Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry at Institut Pasteur in Paris.

The unit's research focuses on the development and application of integrative modeling approaches to investigate the structure, dynamics, and functions of complex biological systems. The unit also develops innovative computational approaches, particularly those based on artificial intelligence, to design proteins with specific structures and functions.

The team consists of approximately 10 researchers with interdisciplinary expertise in physical chemistry, computational structural biology, and computer science, fostering a collaborative research environment at the interface of multiple disciplines.

The successful candidate will work under the direct supervision of Dr. Max Bonomi, Head of the Computational Structural Biology Unit.

The team is based on the Institut Pasteur campus in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. The campus is easily accessible by public transportation, particularly via metro lines 6 and 12 (Pasteur station), as well as several bus routes. On-site dining facilities are available to Institut Pasteur staff.

Research Field Biological sciences » Biological engineering Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

We are seeking candidates with a PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, biophysics, chemistry, physics, or a related field.

Essential qualifications:

• Strong background in structural biology, biophysics, or molecular modeling of proteins.
• Good programming skills, particularly in Python.
• Experience in developing or applying computational methods to study biomolecular systems.
• Experience with protein structure prediction and design tools (AlphaFold, RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN, etc.).
• Ability to work independently, propose innovative solutions, and conduct research projects.
• Strong teamwork skills and ability to collaborate with researchers from different disciplines, particularly experimental teams.
• Good written and oral scientific communication skills in English.

Desirable qualifications:

• Experience in machine learning and deep learning, particularly with frameworks such as PyTorch.
• Familiarity with generative models for proteins, including diffusion models and protein language models.
• Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) resources and GPUs.
• Experience in interdisciplinary research projects involving collaborations with experimental teams.