Postdoctoral Associate
Job Description:The research laboratory of protein engineering and synthetic biology led by Dr. Denard (THE DENARD LAB AT UF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Home) in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida invites applications for a fully funded post-doctoral position. The Denard lab focuses on developing high-throughput tools to evolve and reprogram enzymes that catalyze post-translational modifications (PTM-enzymes), including proteases, kinases, and others. The postdoctoral associate would be involved in several ongoing projects in the lab. One project is to discover modulatory proteins (antibodies, nanobodies, etc…) that can reprogram the activity of PTM-enzymes using a powerful high-throughput discovery platform. In this project, the postdoctoral associate will introduce deep learning to the project to establish sequence function relationships and predict modulator properties from sequence (funded by NIH MIRA) and expand the platform to other enzymes. Other projects in the lab include: 1) comprehensive profiling and engineering of sortase substrate specificity, 2) developing an aggregation sensor to study the sequence function relationship of a human protein aggregation disease, 3) engineering protein disaggregases, and 4) building a yeast model to study the mutational landscape of SRP54 and uncover how congenital mutations lead to human disorders (funded by Live Like Bella Foundation Grant) (UF researcher receives grant to study gene involved in pediatric cancers » Cancer Center » UF Health Cancer Center » University of Florida (ufl.edu)).
The Denard lab: Our lab is funded by an NIH MIRA, a Live Like Bella Foundation Grant and the NSF CAREER award. The Denard is a young, vibrant, and inclusive research. In the Spring of 2022, we moved in brand new facilities. We are supported by state-of-the-art instruments, both in our lab and in core facilities. The postdoctoral associate will be involved in multiple projects, able to advance their career on multiple fronts.
University of Florida: Over the past 10 years, the State of Florida invested over 1.5 billion dollars to advance the University of Florida. UF research expenditures averaged over $950M per year over the last 3 years. As a result, UF is now the 5th ranked public university in America (US News & World Report). The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, The SHANDS Hospital, and the College of Medicine, all in proximity, foster cross-college, highly interdisciplinary collaborations. The city of Gainesville is a university town with a relatively low cost of living, a high quality of life, and a location ~2 hours from 3 major cities (Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville). University of Florida counts among its greatest strengths — and a major component of its excellence – that it values broad diversity in its faculty, students, and staff and creates a robust, inclusive and welcoming climate for learning, research and other work. The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Expected Salary:$58,656- $60,000; contingent upon experience.
Minimum Requirements: PhD in chemical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, bioengineering, biological physics, biophysics, or equivalent field. Expertise in molecular biology and synthetic biology tools, especially in yeast. Preferred Qualifications: Expertise in protein engineering, high-throughput screening, and next-generation sequencing data analysis. Interest in machine learning and deep learning models for DNA sequencing analysis and structural analysis. Expertise in antibody screening and engineering. Expertise in hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry. Relevant publications in peer-reviewed journals. Ability to mentor junior team members, write grant proposals, and scientific articles. Special Instructions to Applicants:To be considered, interested candidates should submit their full curriculum vitae (CV), contact information for three references, and a cover letter of no more than two pages detailing their qualifications, interests, and career objectives.
As a part of our review, we look for a full CV which includes all professional appointments/engagements, all post-secondary education, and all publications from post-secondary education and all respective dates.
Final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.
The University of Florida is An Equal Employment Opportunity Institution. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.
This position is open until filled. Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Health Assessment Required: No