A Biophysicist is a scientist who uses physics to study biological systems using an interdisciplinary approach. Studies from molecules to organisms are conducted, analyzed, and interpreted for scientific evidence in proving or providing information for the greater good of medicine or science. May determine the effects of foods, drugs, serums, hormones, and other substances on tissues and vital processes of living organisms.
The Xu Lab in the Department of Biomedical Sciences is seeking a motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Fellow to join our team. The candidate will lead a research project focusing on molecular microbiology of infectious diseases. One focus of this role involves inhibitor design and validating these targets. The ideal candidate will possess extensive hands-on experience in microbial construct design, genetic transformation, recombinant protein expression, and targeting those proteins with biochemical inhibitors.
Key Responsibilities:
Inhibitor Design:
Apply computational tools (docking, molecular dynamics) or experimental methods to design and screen small-molecule, peptide, or fragment-based inhibitors against target proteins.
Assay Development:
Establish biochemical, biophysical, and cellular assays to measure inhibitor binding affinity and functional enzyme inhibition.
Construct Cloning:
Design and construct expression plasmids, genetic vectors, and CRISPR-based tools for bacterial/host systems.
Strain Engineering:
Engineer microbial strains and mammalian cells.
Protein Expression:
Purify target proteins using chromatographic methods.
Characterization:
Perform biochemical characterization, Western blotting, ELISA, and functional assays to validate protein activity. Location MUSOM - Marshall University School of Medicine Salary Range Salary is commensurate with experience and internal equity Required Qualifications Education Ph.D. in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or a closely related field. Experience Demonstrated experience in inhibitor design, structural biology, or biochemical assay development for target evaluation. Proven expertise in molecular cloning techniques (Gibson assembly, restriction-based, PCR). Hands-on experience with bacterial transformation and genetic manipulation. Strong background in recombinant protein expression and purification.
Evidence of productivity:
At least one first-author publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Experience using structural biology or computational chemistry software (e.g., PyMOL, Schrödinger, AutoDock, Rosetta). Experience with biophysical characterization techniques (e.g., SPR, ITC, MST). Knowledge of bioinformatics tools for gene/protein analysis. Preferred Qualifications Education Experience Posting Detail Information Posting Number MR0884 Open Date 07/23/2026 Close Date Open Until Filled Yes Special Instructions Summary Please include the following with your application: A cover letter detailing research experience and interest in the position. Curriculum Vitae (CV) with a publication list.
