Postdoctoral Scholar at University of Kentucky – Lexington, Kentucky

Ph. D. in chemistry, biochemistry or closely related field.

Culture of E. coli, sterile technique, protein purification, simple column chromatography, UV visible spectrophotometry and titrations, protein and cofactor quantitation’s, standard curves, analysis of spectra, making figures, biochemical spectroscopy of another form (fluorescence or CD or NMR or EPR, for example).

N/A

Active work at lab bench, move between lab rooms, push carts and carry flasks, good vision, hearing, and generally fit for active research work.

Standard lab working hours. Around 8-5 Monday – Friday.

The responsibilities of a postdoctoral scholar will include high-quality research, updating the P.I. regularly on progress and challenges, training students or other researchers joining the lab, a fair share of equipment maintenance and upkeep in the lab and ordering supplies, excellent record-keeping, safety compliance including correct chemical maintenance and disposal practices, analysis and presentation of data, archiving data in forms useful to other researchers and the P.I., writing papers, assistance applying for grants and overseeing junior members of the group, preparation of periodic reports and presentations (at a meeting a year, at least).

Targets and opportunities envisioned for the research are: 1. Production of electron transfer flavoproteins (ETFs) including mutated variants. 2. Characterization of effects of including partner proteins. 3. Making amino acid substitutions and characterizing their consequences. 4. Similarly for the effects of ligand binding. 5. Deposition of enzymes on electrodes and electrochemical characterization of said enzymes/complexes. 6. Studies of ETFs containing modified flavins. 7. Kinetic characterizations. 8. Investigation of possible significance of buried disulfide bonds. 9. Fluorescence including single-molecule and FRET if this avenue proves fruitful.

Not all of these initiatives will bear fruit, and several will be allocated to other group members, but the forgoing are aims of the projects supporting this postdoctoral position.

In order to be considered a candidate, applicants will need to complete the following two steps:

Applicants must include the following:

The three letters of recommendation should address the applicant’s skills and quality of work, knowledge, independence, reliability, rigor, ability to work with others and share facilities, and any additional information the referees wish to provide.

The following skills will all be valuable.It is not required that all be pre-existing, but candidates already skilled in the following will be preferred: culture of E. coli, sterile technique, protein purification, simple column chromatography, UV visible spectrophotometry and titrations, biochemical spectroscopy of another form (fluorescence or CD or NMR or EPR, for example).

Protein and cofactor quantitation’s, standard curves, analysis of spectra, making figures. Anaerobic technique, including gas train (vacuum line) and glove box, electrochemistry. Enzyme assays including enzyme kinetics (steady state and pre-steady state). Experience with bioinformatics, scripting phylogenetics.

Courses in protein biochemistry, enzyme mechanism, molecular biophysics, structural biology, experimental biochemistry, physical chemistry or physical biochemistry.

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Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.