Sandia National Laboratories is seeking an independent, energetic scientist who will join our team in using state-of-the-art mycology and molecular biology techniques to develop fungal expression systems for industrial-scale production of enzymes relevant to biofuel production. The candidate will have opportunities to collaborate with leading scientists and engineers in the JBEI Deconstruction Division who are developing advanced plant biomass deconstruction technologies for biofuel production. 

The Post-Doctoral Appointee Program is designed to recruit outstanding Ph.D. applicants to assist a line organization in meeting its mission objectives and to provide a professional technical work environment for the employee. The Ph.D. must have been conferred within 1 - 5 years prior to employment. These assignments are for a 1-year period, with the option, at management’s discretion, to serve no more than (5) additional 1-year assignments. An extension of up to 6 years requires an employee’s manager approval. Six (6) years or greater requires employee's manager and HR VP approval.

Department Description

The Biomass Science and Conversion Technology Department performs biological and bioengineering research with applications in advanced biofuels and renewable energy.  The department plays an essential role at the Department of Energy (DOE), Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a multi-organizational research center comprising world-class resources and expertise located in one facility at Emeryville, California. The goal of JBEI is to use rapidly advancing scientific techniques, such as systems and synthetic biology, to accelerate development of the nation's biofuels industry.

The department contains a multidisciplinary team of approximately 30 staff, postdocs and technologists with expertise in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, biophysics, analytical chemistry, advanced spectroscopy, microbiology, computational biology, and molecular biology.  The basic research activities in the department are focused on developing a basic understanding of the fundamental chemical, biochemical, and thermochemical reactions and interactions that occur at interfaces. The department is also developing a focus on systems and synthetic biology as they relate to biofuel production. Applied research activities are focused on enzyme and microbial engineering for biofuel production, advanced biomass pretreatment, metabolic engineering of algae, and advanced imaging techniques.  Key sponsors include the DOE Office of Science, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and Sandia’s Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) Program.

Required 

• 3-5 years of experience working with fungal systems and/or designing and building expression constructs.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct experiments independently, maintain appropriate records and manage data.
• Strong personal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated track record of publishing in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.
• Background/experience with filamentous fungi, including transformation, heterologous expression, gene knockouts, DNA, RNA and protein purification, and mutagenesis screening, or background in molecular biology and enzymology, including the ability to design and construct expression systems and familiarity with glycoside hydrolase enzyme assays relevant to biomass deconstruction. 

Desired 

• Experience with genetic engineering of filamentous fungi, modifying both the host genome and transgenic sequences.
• Experience building DNA construct libraries for high-throughput expression screening.
• Experience with mutagenesis screening of filamentous fungi.
• Experience using genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic datasets.
• Background in cellulase cocktail development.
• Familiarity and working knowledge of DOE biofuel programs.

Please apply online at http://www.sandia.gov/careers/search-openings. html, click Advanced Search and reference Job Opening ID Number:  641170.

U.S. Citizenship Normally Required.  Equal Opportunity Employer.  M/F/D/V.