Postdoctoral Scholar (Chemistry and Biochemistry) (Multiple Positions) at InsideHigherEd

Job Title: Postdoctoral Scholar (Chemistry and Biochemistry) (Multiple Positions) Location: Tallahassee, FL Regular/Temporary: Temporary Full/Part Time: Job ID: 61706 Department Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryResponsibilities We are excited to invite applications for three Postdoctoral Researcher positions in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State University, focused on utilizing cutting-edge droplet microfluidics and multi-omics to accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics and combat the growing global threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Our work leverages droplet-based microfluidics—a transformative platform enabling massively parallel, compartmentalized analysis at the single-cell level using picoliter to nanoliter droplets. We seek three highly motivated researchers to drive forward key areas of this research pipeline.Position 1: Microfluidic-Based Antimicrobial Discovery and High-Throughput ScreeningThis position will focus on breaking the bottlenecks associated with cultivation and compound identification. Key responsibilities include:Microbial Dark Matters (MDMs) Cultivation: You will utilize droplet microfluidics for high-throughput cultivation to access MDMs, which represent an immense, untapped source of novel bioactive compounds. Droplet cultivation has shown significant promise in enhancing microbial richness and diversity, enabling the recovery of rare and previously unculturable taxa.Dissecting Microbial Interactions and Activating Cryptic BGCs: You will design and execute scalable co-culture and interaction studies using modular droplet systems. This work aims to reveal higher-order dependencies and emergent microbial behaviors that can activate silent Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs).High-Throughput Phenotypic Assays: You will develop and implement massively parallel, high-resolution screens. This includes utilizing Fluorescence-Activated Droplet Sorting (FADS) to selectively enrich for strains that exhibit specific desired phenotypes, such as antibiotic production or resistance/metabolic activityPosition 2: Droplet Mass Spectrometry and Chemical DereplicationThis position focuses on accelerating the identification of chemically mediated inhibition and preventing the frequent rediscovery of known compounds by integrating microfluidics with mass spectrometry. Accelerating Chemical Dereplication: You will integrate droplets directly with Mass Spectrometry (MS) tools to obtain rapid chemical fingerprints of individual droplets, thereby streamlining the discovery pipeline. Enhancing Detection Sensitivity: You will explore and implement strategies to enhance dereplication efficiency and sensitivity for detecting low-concentration compounds at the picoliter scale. This may involve using high-resolution MS, such as Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance MS (FT-ICR MS), which offers exceptional mass accuracy and resolving power (This may involve collaboration with The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee).Computational Data Analysis and Database Integration: You will be responsible for developing robust data analysis pipelines necessary to efficiently process the high-throughput mass spectrometry data and streamline the dereplication process.Position 3: Single-Cell Genomics and Mechanisms of Resistance/PersistenceThis position focuses on high-resolution, single-cell techniques to understand how resistance genes emerge and spread, and to investigate the mechanisms underlying antibiotic persistence.High-Throughput Single-Cell Sequencing: You will utilize and advance microbial single-cell sequencing techniques (e.g., EASi-seq) to recover whole genomic content from individual cells. This approach overcomes limitations of bulk metagenomics by preserving cell-specific context and linking genomic information to individual cells, allowing high-resolution genomic analysis.Mapping Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARGs) to Hosts: You will employ single cell targeted amplicon sequencing methods. This technique leverages droplet microfluidics to enable the simultaneous tracking of taxonomic associations for multiple ARGs, plasmid replication genes, and taxonomic markers within complex microbial communities, addressing a critical gap in traditional ARG identification.Investigating Antibiotic Persistence: You will apply single microbial RNA sequencing (transcriptome sequencing) to resolve gene expression heterogeneity in bacterial populations following antibiotic treatment. This is crucial for studying persister cells—a subpopulation that enters a transient, dormant state to survive treatment, leading to recurrent infections.Qualifications Candidates should possess a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Bioengineering, or a related interdisciplinary field. Expertise in at least one of the following is highly desirable: droplet microfluidics, high-throughput screening, single-cell multi-omics (genomics, transcriptomics), advanced mass spectrometry, microbial ecology, or complex data analysis pipelines specific to single-cell genomics.Contact Info Xianpeng Li [email protected] Information One of the nation's elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. Founded in 1851, Florida State University is the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida. FSU is a community steeped in tradition that fosters research and encourages creativity. At FSU, there’s the excitement of being part of a vibrant academic and professional community, surrounded by people whose ideas are shaping tomorrow’s news!Learn more about our university and campuses.Anticipated Salary Range The estimated salary ranges from $50,000 to $70,000.FSU Total Rewards FSU offers a robust Total Rewards package. Visit our website to learn more about our Compensation, Benefits, Wellness, Recognition, and Employee Development programs.Use our interactive tool to calculate Total Compensation options based on potential salary, benefits and retirement contributions, earned leave, and other employment-related perks.How To Apply If qualified and interested in a specific job opening as advertised, apply to Florida State University at https://jobs.fsu.edu. If you are a current FSU employee, apply via myFSU > Self Service.Applicants are required to complete the online application with all applicable information. Applications must include all work history up to ten years, and education details even if attaching a resume.Please upload the following documents as part of your application:Curriculum Vitae (CV)Research StatementAdditional Document that includes:A brief description of your Ph.D. research or current research, including its main findingsYour long-term career goals and how this postdoctoral position aligns with themWhy you're interested in for applying to this positionWhen you're avalable to startContact information for at least two references who can provide recommendation lettersAny additional information you would like to shareConsiderations This is an OPS/temporary job.Based on the duties, this position may require completion of a criminal history background check.Equal Employment Opportunity FSU is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.