Postdoctoral Position
Join the Nagarajan Laboratory as a Postdoctoral Fellow to investigate the molecular basis of enzyme function and contribute to the development of novel antimicrobial strategies. This postdoctoral position integrates protein biochemistry, microbiology, enzyme kinetics, chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis, small-molecule inhibitor screening, molecular docking, and computational simulations to understand how bacteria communicate, acquire nutrients, and cause disease—and to translate these mechanistic insights into new strategies for targeting bacterial virulence.
Minimum Qualifications
· Ph.D in Chemistry, Biochemistry or a related field.
Essential Qualifications
• Expertise and hands-on experience in protein purification.
• Experience in conducting enzyme assays and/or protein-binding assays.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Demonstrated proficiency in scientific writing skills such as preparation of manuscripts.
• Strong work ethic and commitment to becoming an independent scientist.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
• Assist in training and supervising students and other research personnel in the PI’s laboratory.
• Maintain accurate and thorough documentation of research data in accordance with applicable data-management protocols.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Preferred Qualifications
• Strong background in enzymology and mechanism of action studies.
• Experience handling microbes and bioassays.
• Experience in Schrodinger molecular docking, simulation and small molecule drug discovery packages.
• Experience in small molecule synthesis.
• Design and synthesis of small-molecule chemical probes.
• Experience working with acyl carrier proteins or lipid biosynthesis pathways is a plus.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
In accordance with discipline and departmental standards and expectations:
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
• Strong commitment to research integrity, laboratory safety, and ethical conduct.
• Scientific writing skills demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications.
• Ability to acquire accurate, reproducible data.
• Excellent project and time management skills.
• Strong interpersonal and mentoring skills.
Salary & Benefits:
The salary is commensurate with past experiences and training. Boise State University is committed to offering a benefits package that provides health and financial protection plans as well as resources to promote health and well-being. Our program provides flexibility so you can choose the benefits that are right for you and your family. Learn more about our benefit options at https://www.boisestate.edu/hrs/benefits/.
Application Instructions
Interested applicants must submit a CV and a cover letter describing your background, past training and skillsets that fit this position. After initial screening of application materials, appropriate candidates will be contacted for letters of reference.
About Us:
Boise State University, powered by creativity and innovation, stands uniquely positioned in the Northwest as a metropolitan research university of distinction. Learn more about Boise State and the City of Boise at https://www.boisestate.edu/about/boise-and-beyond/. Boise State University is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty, staff, students, and academic program offerings and to strengthening sensitivity to diversity throughout the institution. Boise State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, and members of historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. We are a welcoming campus that supports diversity and inclusion.
Department and Facilities Overview:
The Post Doctoral Fellow will work with Dr. Rajesh Nagarajan and his research group in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The department supports 12 research active tenure-track faculty, 6 teaching and research faculty, and 5 postdoctoral fellows. Faculty members in the Chemistry Department conduct research in areas such as medicinal chemistry & medical devices, protein biochemistry, enzymology, bioinorganic chemistry, computational chemistry, prebiotic chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, and materials chemistry. Our faculty members participate and mentor Ph.D. graduate students in transdisciplinary programs including Materials Science and Engineering, Biomolecular Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Computing.
The Nagarajan Laboratory provides access to a broad range of instrumentation for biochemical and biophysical studies, including a Bio-Rad NGC FPLC system, Thermo Scientific UltiMate 3000 HPLC, Agilent 1290 Biocompatible HPLC, Applied Photophysics SX20 stopped-flow spectrometer, FluoroMax-4C spectrofluorometer, and BioTek multimode plate readers. The post-doctoral fellow will also have access to shared instrumentation within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, and the Boise State Biomolecular Research Center. These resources include Bruker maXis Q-TOF mass spectrometry, Bruker 600 MHz NMR spectroscopy, MALDI mass spectrometry with imaging capabilities, Agilent 6470 triple-quadrupole LC-MS systems, isothermal titration calorimetry, advanced plate readers, and microscopy facilities.