Postdoctoral Research Associate in Protein Engineering Applied to Synthetic Biology

Los Alamos National Security LLC; Los Alamos (NM); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance (PPO/High Deductible

Dental & vision

401(k) plan with matching

Job summary

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the B-IOME group of the Bioscience Division. You will design and engineer proteins, express variants in non-model hosts, and collaborate with computational biologists to power machine learning models for DBTL cycles.

The role requires a Ph.D. in a relevant field awarded within the last 5 years, and a strong record of publications.

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of protein biochemistry including recombinant expression and purification.
• Understanding of enzyme kinetics and structure-function relationships.
• Experience with computational protein design tools and high-throughput assay frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Design and engineer proteins with desired catalytic properties and stability.
• Express and characterize engineered proteins in biological hosts.
• Collaborate with computational and experimental teams to advance DBTL workflows.

Skills

Protein engineering

Enzymology

Computational design

Communication

Education

Ph.D. in Biological Sciences or related field

Tools

Rosetta

ProteinMPNN

RFdiffusion

AlphaFold

MD simulations

Job description

What You Will Do

The B-IOME group within the Bioscience Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) leads diverse research projects in microbial and community engineering for applications across biomanufacturing, biomining, environmental remediation, and human health.

As a Postdoctoral Research Associate in our group, you will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to develop and apply cutting-edge tools for computational protein design and high-throughput screening. Your primary focus will be generating robust, high-quality experimental datasets to power machine learning models and accelerate the Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle.

Specifically, you will:

• Design and engineer proteins with tailored catalytic efficiency, enhanced thermal/chemical stability, or targeted ligand and metal-binding selectivities.
• Express and characterize engineered proteins in non-model microbial hosts to evaluate their functional performance in biological systems.
• Work collaboratively with computational biologists, molecular biologists, and strain engineers to advance national security and bioeconomy missions.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

• Protein Engineering & Biochemistry: In-depth knowledge of protein biochemistry, including recombinant expression, purification, structural biophysics, and biochemical characterization.
• Enzymology & Structure-Function Relationships: Demonstrated understanding of enzyme kinetics, ligand/metal-binding mechanisms, protein stability determinants, and sequence-structure-function relationships.
• Tool Deployment & Experimental Design: Hands-on experience developing or applying computational protein design tools and/or high-throughput assay frameworks (e.g., cell-free systems, biosensors, or display technologies) to generate structured datasets.
• Communication & Collaboration: A strong record of scientific productivity (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, conference talks) and the ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team environment.

Training/Certifications: N/A

Education/Experience: Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Bioengineering, Structural Biology, Synthetic Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, or a closely related discipline, awarded within the last 5 years (or completed prior to start date).

Desired Qualifications:

Two or more qualifications as described below is highly recommended.

• Computational Protein Design & AI/ML: Experience with computational protein design suites (e.g., Rosetta, ProteinMPNN, RFdiffusion), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and the application or development of AI/deep learning tools (e.g., protein language models, AlphaFold) for structure prediction and protein engineering.
• Library Generation & High-Throughput Screening: Hands-on experience constructing combinatorial protein or strain libraries and deploying high-throughput screening technologies (e.g., yeast or bacterial display, FACS, or microfluidics/droplet-based assays).
• Genotype-Phenotype Mapping & Data Science: Demonstrated proficiency in quantitative genotype-to-phenotype mapping, high-throughput sequence-activity analysis, and preparing structured experimental datasets for training machine learning models.
• Biosensor Engineering & Directed Evolution: Background in engineering allosteric or chimeric biosensors (e.g., transcription-factor- or fluorescent-protein-based) for high-throughput enzyme evolution, strain screening, or environmental monitoring.
• Publication Track Record: Proven scientific productivity as evidenced by at least two first-authored research articles in peer-reviewed journals, along with significant contributions to a review article or a book chapter.

Work Environment

Work Location:

The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Work Schedule:

On site 40 hr a week, either under 5/40 or 9/80 schedule

Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Where You Will Work

Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:

• PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network
• Dental and vision insurance
• Free basic life and disability insurance
• Paid childbirth and parental leave
• Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
• Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
• Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays)
• Onsite gyms and wellness programs
• Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius)

Additional Details

Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.

No Clearance: Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre-employment background checks.

New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.

Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such a accommodation, please send an email to [e-mail] or call (505)-664-6947.