Structural Vaccinology Fellow: Cryo-EM & Antigen Design

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Silver Spring (MD); On-site; USD 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The FDA in Silver Spring offers a research fellowship in the Office of Vaccines Research and Review to explore how antibodies recognize viral proteins at the atomic level using cryo-EM.

You will learn protein expression/purification, cryo-EM data collection, and contribute to manuscript writing under mentorship, with a focus on enabling vaccine design.

The appointment is full-time for one year, starting in 2026, with a monthly stipend commensurate with education and experience.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Structural Biology, Virology, Immunology, Biochemistry) or pursuing with completion before start date.
• Background in protein expression, purification, and structural biology preferred; drive and initiative welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Join a new lab using cryo-EM to study how viral proteins are recognized by antibodies at atomic detail.
• Design and execute experiments to determine structures of viral proteins and antibodies.
• Develop and expand projects using structural biology to enable vaccine development.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Protein expression (mammalian cells)

Protein purification

Publications/records

Immunology/Virology knowledge

Structural biology software (PyMOL/PhX

Education

Master's or PhD in Structural Biology/Virology/Immunology/Biochemistry

Tools

PyMOL

Phenix

Chimera

Job description

The FDA in Silver Spring offers a research fellowship in the Office of Vaccines Research and Review to explore how antibodies recognize viral proteins at the atomic level using cryo-EM.

You will learn protein expression/purification, cryo-EM data collection, and contribute to manuscript writing under mentorship, with a focus on enabling vaccine design.

The appointment is full-time for one year, starting in 2026, with a monthly stipend commensurate with education and experience.