Berkeley Lab's (LBNL) Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (MBIB) has an opening for a Postdoctoral Fellow to develop computational methods and software for protein structure determination.
In this exciting role, you will develop new mathematical approaches and computational algorithms to investigate protein conformational states from cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) experiments, including single-particle imaging and cellular tomography. This work will involve research and development of new hybrid methods that combine deep generative modeling, traditional optimization-based methods, numerical linear algebra, and Fourier analysis.
The goals include writing a pipeline for automated atomic modeling of heterogeneous structures from cryo-EM data using Phenix model building tools and developing methods for dealing with incomplete data and structure completion. You will work with a data analysis team for image analysis and the Phenix team for model building aspects. This position will require implementation and testing of software on simulated and experimental data, organization of results for presentations to team members and to the scientific community and preparing results for publication in scientific journals.
This position has an anticipated start date of August 1, 2025.
What You Will Do:
Develop and implement computational algorithms for structure determination using cryo-electron microscopy including:
Generative modeling of conformational heterogeneity in electron microscopy.
Data-driven methods that use machine learning for reconstructing non-rigid deformations.
Algorithms for automated alignment of single-particle and/or electron tomography data.
Theory and optimization techniques for tackling noise, missing data, and completion of models.
Automated pipelines for data analysis, structure completion, and model validation.
Apply new algorithms to enable high-resolution 3D reconstructions of biomolecules from cellular tomographic data.
Publish scientific papers in high-impact journals and present findings at seminars and conferences.
Maintain documentation of theory, derivations, software, and results.
Contribute to discussions on the determination of future directions.
Prepare results, figures, and write-ups for research/grant proposals.
What is Required:
A recent Ph.D. (within the last 1-2 years) in Computational Biophysics/Physics, Computational Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
Demonstrated experience developing computational algorithms and numerical methods for solving inverse problems in imaging, including iterative reconstruction for microscopy and regularization techniques.
Experience with generative models, variational inference, physics informed machine learning, and coding in Python and PyTorch.
Demonstrated knowledge of electron microscopy, numerical linear algebra, optimization techniques, and Fourier analysis.
Strong organizational skills including experience maintaining detailed and accurate records of experiment results and analyzed data.
Excellent oral and written communication skills including experience organizing/presenting technical reports and publications in cryo-electron microscopy or closely related fields.
Demonstrated interpersonal skills including experience conducting experiments independently and collaborating with a diverse interdisciplinary research team.
Desired Qualifications:
Experience coding in C/C++/Fortran and version control tools.
Experience with software development for high-performance computing (i.e., openMPI, openMP, and GPU).
Interest in extending scientific computing to new imaging problems.
Notes:
Application Deadline: For full consideration, please apply with a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume and a cover letter describing your interest by June 30, 2025.
Appointment Type: This is a full time, 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. This position is represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes.
Salary Information: The monthly salary range for this position is $7,828 - $8,742 and is expected to start at $7,828 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.
Background Check: This position may be subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
Work Modality: This position will be performed onsite at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720. Starting May 7, a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification is required to access Berkeley Lab sites (for more information click here).
Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.
Berkeley Lab is a University of California employer. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.
Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.
In the world of science, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is synonymous with excellence. Thirteen scientists associated with Berkeley Lab have won the Nobel Prize. Fifty-seven Lab scientists are members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors for a scientist in the United States. Thirteen of our scientists have won the National Medal of Science, our nation's highest award for lifetime achievement in fields of scientific research. Eighteen of our engineers have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and three of our scientists have been elected into the Institute of Medicine. In addition, Berkeley Lab has trained thousands of university science and engineering students who are advancing technological innovations across the nation and around the world. Berkeley Lab is a member of the national laboratory system supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through its Office of Science. It is managed by the University of California (UC) and is charged with conducting unclassified research across a wide range of scientific disciplines. Located on a 200-acre site in the hills above the UC Berkeley campus that offers spectacular... views of the San Francisco Bay, Berkeley Lab employs approximately 4,200 scientists, engineers, support staff and students. Its budget for 2011 is $735 million, with an additional $101 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, for a total of $836 million. A recent study estimates the Laboratory's overall economic impact through direct, indirect and induced spending on the nine counties that make up the San Francisco Bay Area to be nearly $700 million annually. The Lab was also responsible for creating 5,600 jobs locally and 12,000 nationally. The overall economic impact on the national economy is estimated at $1.6 billion a year. Technologies developed at Berkeley Lab have generated billions of dollars in revenues, and thousands of jobs. Savings as a result of Berkeley Lab developments in lighting and windows, and other energy-efficient technologies, have also been in the billions of dollars. Berkeley Lab was founded in 1931 by Ernest Orlando Lawrence, a UC Berkeley physicist who won the 1939 Nobel Prize in physics for his invention of the cyclotron, a circular particle accelerator that opened the door to high-energy physics. It was Lawrence's belief that scientific research is best done through teams of individuals with different fields of expertise, working together. His teamwork concept is a Berkeley Lab legacy that continues today.
