Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Agency

Texas A&M University Health Science Center

Department

Cell Biology and Genetics

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment 

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our  core   values   which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.    

 

Who we are

As one of the fastest-growing academic health centers in the nation, Texas A&M Health  encompasses five colleges and numerous centers and institutes working together to improve health through transformative education, innovative research and team-based health care delivery. 

What we want

The Postdoctoral Research Associate shall be responsible for conducting research on deciphering the mechanism of nucleocytoplasmic transport using 3D single molecule fluorescence microscopy and single particle tracking approaches (see Sau et al., 2025 Nature 640:821). Both astigmatism and MINFLUX microscopy will be applied to determine the binding locations of various proteins within the nuclear pore complex (NPC), the locations of various transport pathways though the pore, and the structural and dynamic properties of the FG-polypeptides, which generate the permeability barrier. The successful applicant will purify his/her own reagents and perform the single molecule experiments. This project requires multi-color experiments on single fluorophores with sub-10 nm precision and millisecond-scale time resolution, with special attention applied to image stabilization and alignment, and drift and chromatic corrections.

What you need to know

Salary: Will be commensurate based on the selected hire’s education and experience.   

Location/Schedule: College Station, TX/ Full-Time; This position may require work beyond normal office hours and/or work on weekends

Please note: This position is grant funded; future employment may be contingent upon future funding.   

Apply! Submitting a cover letter, resume/CV to assist us with the review process. You may upload these documents to the application under CV/Resume.  

Required Education and Experience

• Appropriate PhD in related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience labeling proteins with fluorescent dyes and fluorescent proteins.

• Experience with single molecule fluorescence methods.

• A strong background and training in quantitative approaches.

• PhD emphasis ranging from physics to cell biology.

• MATLAB programming ability.

• Strong skillset/background in biochemical and biophysical methods and approaches, standard molecular biology and protein chemistry techniques, CRISPR/Cas, and/or computational simulations.

Responsibilities

Single Molecule and Super-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy Experiments

• Designing, planning, and implementing 3D super-resolution fluorescence microscopy experiments to decipher various aspects of nucleocytoplasmic transport.

Data Analysis

• Use existing algorithms and design new approaches to analyze microscopy data in order to understand its implications for understanding nucleocytoplasmic transport.

• Analyzed data will be reported at conferences and within research publications and may be used in future grant proposals.

Protein Modification, Purification and Labeling

• Mutagenesis, overproduction, and purification of proteins as required for in vitro nuclear transport experiments.

• Labeling proteins with fluorescent dyes and fluorescent proteins.

Additional Lab Support

• May assist, mentor, and/or supervise other personnel (e.g., graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) who are working on research related to the project.

• Prepares presentation materials on research topic that may be presented to small and/or large groups.

• Actively participates in the preparation of required technical progress reports to research sponsors.

Why Texas A&M University?

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.  Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.  Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.   

• Medical,  prescription drug,  dental,  vision,  life and AD&D,  flexible spending accounts , and long-term disability insurance  with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums  

• 12-15 days  of annual paid holidays   

• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave  and at least eight hours of paid vacation  each month  

• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas    

• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time   

• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning  training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more   

• Educational release time and tuition assistance  for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee  

• Living Well,  a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees  

 

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered, or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to prepopulate the online application. 

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.