Postdoctoral Fellow I (Antibody Engineering)

Job description

About the Position We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Fellow/Consultant to support the Principal Investigator, Co-Investigators, and research staff in the development and evaluation of next-generation prophylactics. The successful candidate will conduct proof-of-concept studies involving the design, expression, purification, and characterization of antibodies, single-chain variable fragments (scFvs), and bispecific scFvs (BS-scFvs) targeting key vaccine candidates. This position offers an exceptional opportunity to work at the intersection of computational protein design, structural biology, artificial intelligence, and translational vaccinology within a highly collaborative research environment. The candidate will bridge computational approaches with hands-on wet-laboratory research and contribute to the advancement of novel prophylactic strategies. In addition to laboratory and research responsibilities, the Postdoctoral Fellow/Consultant will assist with overall project execution, including ensuring enrollment targets are met when applicable, maintaining protocol adherence, supporting monitoring visits, overseeing regulatory and administrative requirements, assisting with data management, and providing project close-out support. The successful candidate will work closely with investigators and research staff to ensure scientific, operational, and regulatory objectives are achieved. Work Authorization Requirement: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or otherwise authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship. Key Responsibilities 1. Computational Antibody & Protein Design: Use machine-learning/AI platforms including AlphaFold3, RFdiffusion, ThermoMPNN, Rosetta, PROSS, PRoscan, PyMOL. 2. Recombinant Protein Expression & Purification: Express proteins in mammalian expression system, Escherichia coli or alternative expression hosts. Perform protein purification using chromatography platforms (FPLC, affinity, size-exclusion chromatography). 3. Biophysical & Biochemical Characterization: Evaluate the purity, yield, and structural integrity of protein molecules, conduct ELISA, Biolayer Interferometry to benchmark candidate molecules. 4. Project Management, Collaboration & Reporting: Analyze, interpret, and integrate biochemical/biophysical datasets with downstream biological assay results generated by partners. Draft technical updates and final comprehensive reports for the project sponsor. Required Qualifications Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or a closely related scientific discipline. Wet-Lab Experience: Expertise in recombinant protein expression mammalian and bacterial systems. Extensive experience in protein purification (IMAC, SEC, IEX) and quality control (SDS-PAGE, Western blot, HPLC). Demonstrated familiarity with structural and biophysical characterization techniques, particularly BLI/SPR. Skills: Excellent communication, meticulous record-keeping, and the ability to work independently within a multidisciplinary, collaborative team environment. Preferred Qualifications Computational Skills: Direct experience using computational protein engineering suites.