Postdoctoral Research Associate (SGC-UNC)

Thesgc; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institution in Chapel Hill is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a NIH-funded initiative aimed at accelerating Alzheimer’s drug discovery. The role involves designing protein production workflows, characterizing protein interactions, and determining protein structures. Ideal candidates hold a PhD in Biological Sciences, are proficient in molecular biology techniques, and have experience in protein purification and assay development. This position offers a dynamic research environment focused on therapeutic innovation.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated proficiency in molecular biology, including high-throughput cloning.
• Skilled in protein purification equipment, high-speed centrifuges.
• Expertise in developing biochemical assays with fluorescence polarization.

Responsibilities

• Design recombinant protein production workflows.
• Develop assays to characterize protein-ligand interactions.
• Determine protein structures using X-ray crystallography.

Skills

Molecular biology

Recombinant protein production

Protein purification

Biochemical assays

Biophysical assays

Education

PhD in Biological Sciences or Chemical Biology

Tools

Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC)

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC)

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR)

Job description

Postdoctoral Research Associate (SGC-UNC)

Position Information

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

Position Summary

The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) at UNC-Chapel Hill is seeking a highly motivated researcher to join our team as part of the NIH-funded Emory-Sage-SGC-Jax TREAT-AD Center. This multi-institutional initiative is focused on accelerating the discovery of new therapeutic targets and strategies for Alzheimer’s disease by generating and disseminating high-quality research tools and data.

As a member of the Center’s Structural Biology Core, this position will contribute to the development of Target Enabling Packages (TEPs) comprehensive toolkits that include purified proteins, structural data, and biochemical assays to support the broader research community in exploring novel drug targets.

Key Responsibilities:

• Protein Expression and Purification: Design and execute recombinant protein production workflows in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems.
• Biochemical and Biophysical Characterization: Develop and perform assays to identify and characterize protein-ligand interactions, including binding affinity, selectivity, and mechanism-of-action studies.
• Structural Biology: Determine protein structures using X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to support target validation and ligand discovery.
• Data Management and Reporting: Maintain accurate and detailed records of experimental procedures, results, and analyses. Communicate findings regularly with the project team and contribute to collaborative research efforts within the TREAT-AD network.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of chemical biology, neuroscience, and structural biology, contributing to a national effort to uncover new therapeutic avenues for Alzheimer’s disease.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• PhD in Biological Sciences or Chemicial Biology or related field.
• Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
• Demonstrated proficiency in molecular biology, including high-throughput cloning and recombinant protein production using both bacterial and eukaryotic expression systems, such as baculovirus-infected insect cells.
• Must be skilled in the use of protein purification equipment, including high-speed centrifuges and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) systems.
• Expertise in developing and executing biochemical assays is essential, with hands-on experience in techniques such as fluorescence polarization, time-resolved FRET (TR-FRET), FRET, and BRET.
• Proficiency in biophysical assay platforms, including isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), is also required for characterizing protein-ligand interactions.
• Contribute to the design, execution, and analysis of DEL-based ligand discovery campaigns, supporting the identification of novel chemical matter for challenging protein targets

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Experience with DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening is highly desirable.