Computational Postdoctoral Fellow (Quantitative Modeling Group)

About the role

Berkeley Lab’s (LBNL) Biological Systems and Engineering (BSE) Division has an opening for a Computational Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Quantitative Modeling Group led by Héctor García Martín!

Responsibilities

• Leverage Artificial Intelligence, data science, mechanistic models, robotics, and synthetic biology to enable quantitative predictions of biological systems and support the development of self-driving laboratories.
• Contribute to the design of cells and other biological systems to a specification, with the final goal of enhancing biomanufacturing, reducing supply chain disruptions, producing environmental benefits, addressing national security needs, and creating new jobs and industries.
• Integrate and analyze complex biological datasets.
• Develop quantitatively predictive models of biological systems.
• Integrate multi-omics data into quantitative computational models.
• Apply Monte Carlo sampling approaches to quantify uncertainty.
• Utilize machine-learning and data-mining approaches to recommend bioengineering interventions.
• Develop new machine-learning algorithms.
• Integrate machine learning techniques with mechanistic modeling approaches.
• Develop, optimize, and maintain code and algorithms supporting predictive models.
• Combine computational algorithms with laboratory automation to enable self-driving laboratories and automate the scientific process.
• Collaborate closely with experimental and automation scientists to guide experimental design and maximize the value of available data to its full potential.
• Partner with software engineers to develop and maintain code following best practices.
• Troubleshoot technical and research problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines.
• Prepare research results for publication and present results at scientific conferences, seminars, and internal meetings.
• Contribute to the preparation and development of grant proposals and related supporting materials.

Requirements

• A recent Ph.D. (within the last 1-2 years) in Physics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Biology, Bioengineering, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience programming in Python or other major programming languages.
• Proven experience working in Linux environments, including file systems, shell scripting, and hardware/software monitoring.
• Strong mathematical background as evidenced by relevant coursework and/or work experience.
• Strong organizational skills including experience maintaining detailed and accurate records of results and analyzed data.
• Excellent verbal and presentation skills including experience preparing research reports, manuscripts, and scientific publications for group meetings, conferences, and scientific journals.
• Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills including experience conducting independent, data-driven research and collaborating with an interdisciplinary research team.

Qualifications

• Experience conducting experimental laboratory work.
• Experience with metabolic flux analysis.
• Knowledge of microbiology and microbial metabolism.
• Strong interest in biology and metabolism.

Benefits

This position is exempt from overtime pay (monthly paid), 2 year (benefits eligible), Postdoctoral Fellow appointment with the possibility of renewal based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds, and ongoing operational needs. You must have less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience.

Schedule

This position will be performed onsite at the Emeryville Station East (ESE) Operations Center located in Building 978 at 5885 Hollis Street Emeryville, CA 94608. Work schedules are dependent on business needs.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $7,987 - $8,921 monthly / $95,844 - $107,052 annually and is expected to start at $7,987 monthly / $95,844 annually or above. Postdoctoral positions are paid on a step schedule per union contract and salaries are predetermined based on postdoctoral step rates. Each step represents one full year of completed post-Ph.D. postdoctoral and/or related research experience.