Postdoc in Fermentation & Metabolic Engineering

National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 77,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

Short-term disability insurance

Pension benefits

403(b) plan with employer match

Life and AD&D insurance

Personal time off and sick leave

Paid holidays

Job summary

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher to advance fermentation engineering, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology for biological syngas conversion. The role focuses on acetogenic bacteria within a multidisciplinary team at the RRES Center, with a one‑year initial appointment and potential renewal.

The successful candidate will work closely with scientists on bioreactor processes, apply CRISPR and other molecular techniques, and

Qualifications

• PhD in Fermentation Engineering, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, or a closely related field.
• Experience in setup, operation, and bioprocess optimization of bioreactors with gaseous feedstocks.
• Analytical chemistry skills (HPLC, GC) for metabolite analysis.
• Experience cultivating and genetically modifying non-model microbes, esp. acetogens.
• Experience creating acetogen and fermentation strategies across scales.
• Experience using synthetic biology for engineered strains.

Responsibilities

• Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting.
• Plan and execute research in collaboration with other researchers.
• Communicate scientific results effectively in writing and orally.
• Author peer‑reviewed publications and present findings.
• Collaborate in a large, multidisciplinary, multi‑institutional team.

Skills

Bioreactor operation

HPLC/GC analysis

Microbial genetic engineering

Synthetic biology techniques

CRISPR tooling

Data analysis / bioinformatics

Scientific communication

Education

PhD in Fermentation Engineering, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, or related field

Tools

PCR

Plasmid design

Bacterial cultivation

Genetic transformation systems

Job description

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher to advance fermentation engineering, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology for biological syngas conversion. The role focuses on acetogenic bacteria within a multidisciplinary team at the RRES Center, with a one‑year initial appointment and potential renewal.

The successful candidate will work closely with scientists on bioreactor processes, apply CRISPR and other molecular techniques, and