Radial Postdoctoral Fellow – Dynamic Structural Biology (diffUSE Project)

Position Summary

The diffUSE Project is seeking a highly motivated structural biologist to push the boundaries of X-ray crystallography for studying protein dynamics. Work will be done within the Ando lab, known for developing and integrating advanced structural techniques (crystallography, SAXS, and cryo-EM) and bioinformatics to visualize protein motions underlying enzyme catalysis and allostery. The postdoctoral fellow would contribute to the Diffuse Project, a multi-institution initiative around mainstreaming diffuse scattering techniques, which use the hidden data from X-ray crystallography experiments to extract information on protein motion. The project is an open-science collaboration that brings together expertise across disciplines in a goal-driven, team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments to probe protein dynamics using X-ray crystallography, including crystal growth, optimization, and data collection
• Collect and analyze diffraction data (including diffuse scattering) at synchrotron facilities
• Apply and/or develop computational tools for modeling conformational ensembles from experimental data
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams across the diffUSE Project (experimental, computational, and theoretical groups)
• Contribute to method development and benchmarking for dynamic structural biology
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students in the team
• Communicate results through open-science platforms

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Structural Biology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience with X-ray crystallography (data collection, processing, refinement)
• Strong experimental skills in protein expression, purification, and/or crystallization
• Ability to think rigorously about physical models and experimental data
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with advanced X-ray instrumentation
• Experience developing experimental or theoretical approaches for dynamic structural biology (such as time-resolved X-FEL, energy landscapes by cryo-EM)
• Experience with scientific programming (Python, MATLAB, etc.)
• Engagement in open-science practices