Postdoc

Position Description

We are seeking postdocs to describe and/or design metal-mediated biocatalytic processes that have biotechnological and health applications.

Three funded projects cover a range of fundamental and applied topics. These include a collaborative position with the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and Bottle.org to develop biocatalytic approaches to plastic upcycling, using an iron- and zinc-dependent reaction cascade. A second project focuses on discovering and describing novel enzymes and biochemical pathways for iron metabolism by anaerobic bacteria that symbiotically populate the animal GI tract. A third project area investigates bio-demineralization relevant to biomining by anaerobic methanogens. See: https://chemistry.montana.edu/directory/1583497/jennifer-dubois

Desired Skills:

The successful applicant should have a PhD in biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, or a related discipline. Lab expertise will depend on the project but may require experience with one or more of the following: bioinformatics, protein expression and purification, kinetics, structure-activity relationships, assay development, microbial cultivation, mass spectrometry, computational chemistry, and/or spectroscopy. Use of softwares for data analysis and the generation and presentation of figures is required, along with experience with generating research reports, published papers, and public seminars.

The successful applicant should have a strong work ethic, resilience, and commitment to working both with a mentor to develop their skills and with a team composed of other scientists and students.

Montana State University is a mid-sized campus and Carnegie R1 research institution. MSU’s location in the beautiful Gallatin valley, with easy access to the Rocky Mountains, several national parks and forests, a cosmopolitan college town, and an international airport, gives rise to an outstanding quality of life. We offer competitive pay and excellent benefits.

Restrictions:

Applicants must be currently available to legally work in the US.

Application:

Please send a CV with publications, letters of recommendation (3), and a cover letter describing your background and interests to the PI (jennifer.dubois1@montana.edu).