Founded in 1856, University of Maryland, College Park is the state’s flagship institution. Our 1,250-acre College Park campus is just minutes away from Washington, D.C., and the nexus of the nation’s legislative, executive, and judicial centers of power. This unique proximity to business and technology leaders, federal departments and agencies, and a myriad of research entities, embassies, think tanks, cultural centers, and non-profit organizations is simply unparalleled. Synergistic opportunities for our faculty and students abound and are virtually limitless in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas. The University is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding and diverse faculty and staff that will enhance our stature of preeminence in our three missions of teaching, scholarship, and full engagement in our community, the state of Maryland, and in the world.

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The University of Maryland has made the safety of our students, faculty and staff, and our surrounding communities a top priority. As part of that commitment, the University requires that students, faculty, and staff on the UMD campus be vaccinated against COVID-19. As a prospective and/or a new employee at UMD, you will be required to comply with the University’s vaccination protocol. Proof of full vaccination will be required before the start of employment in order to work at any University of Maryland location. Prospective or new employees may seek a medical or religious exemption to the vaccination requirement at return.umd.edu and must have an approved exemption prior to the start of their employment. Failure to provide proof of vaccination or to obtain approval for a medical or religious exemption will result in the offer of employment being rescinded.

The Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR), University of Maryland, Rockville, MD, in partnership with the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate candidate to work on biophysical studies of membrane-active peptides. We are looking for a talented and highly motivated individual to work on the functional and structural characterization of peptide-membrane interactions using both biological (cell culture) methods and model lipid membranes systems (e.g., liposomes).

The Postdoctoral Associate will be a part of a “Reflectometry-driven Optimization And Discovery of Membrane Active Peptides (ROADMAP)” project team, recently funded for 5 years, that includes experts in the area of biophysical measurements of lipid membranes and membrane-active peptides (MAPs), neutron and X-ray reflectometry and diffraction, data science, machine learning and predictive modeling of antimicrobial and cell-penetrating peptides at lipid membranes. ROADMAP aims to establish a workflow for rapid discovery of potent peptide candidates for biomedical applications including combating microbial resistance.

The candidate will be expected to collaborate closely with researchers of the ROADMAP team and contribute measurement data and reports, as needed to inform and validate predictive models of interaction of MAPs with lipid membranes. The incumbent will have the opportunity to use state-the-art techniques and facilities available at IBBR and NIST, including a suite of X-ray and neutron scattering instruments, cryo-EM and NMR facilities.

IBBR is a joint research enterprise of the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. IBBR leverages state-of-art integrative methods for bioanalytical, biophysical and structural characterization of biomolecules: cryo-electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, x-ray crystallography, small angle neutron and x-ray scattering and mass spectrometry. IBBR researchers seek to advance therapeutic development, biomanufacturing, and state-of-the-art measurement technologies, to support accelerated delivery of safe and effective medicines to the public. IBBR is a major initiative and supported in part by the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State (MPower) , an initiative designed to achieve innovation and impact through collaboration.

Education:
Ph.D. degree obtained within the last 5 years in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or related fields.

Preferences:
Experience with cell culture (microbial and mammalian), fluorescence techniques (e.g., flow cytometry, microscopy) and/or structural methods (SAXS, cryo-EM, NMR) is desired.

The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.