Postdoctoral Research Scientist

The Williams Lab in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Columbia University is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Scientist to work on projects related to protein engineering, glycoengineering, and molecular targeting for biotechnology and therapeutic applications. Research in the lab focuses on engineering protein-glycan interactions, including engineered lectins, nanobody-based targeting platforms, and synthetic biology approaches for therapeutic development, drug delivery, and immunoengineering.

The Postdoctoral Research Scientist will lead experimental research projects involving protein engineering, recombinant protein expression, biochemical characterization, and cell-based assays.

Projects may involve:

• Engineering glycan-binding proteins (lectins)
• Nanobody engineering and molecular targeting platforms
• Protein design and directed evolution
• Glycoengineering and glycoconjugates
• Synthetic biology approaches for therapeutic development
• Biofilm targeting and antimicrobial strategies
• Immunoengineering and dendritic cell targeting
• Drug delivery and molecular recognition systems

Responsibilities

The Postdoctoral Research Scientist will:

• Design and execute independent research projects
• Perform cloning, mutagenesis, and protein engineering
• Express and purify recombinant proteins (E. coli, yeast, or mammalian systems)
• Perform biochemical and biophysical characterization (e.g., BLI, SPR, binding assays)
• Conduct cell-based assays and functional experiments
• Analyze data and prepare manuscripts for publication
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students
• Assist with grant proposal preparation
• Present research at group meetings and conferences

Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable:

• Protein engineering or directed evolution
• Glycobiology or glycoengineering
• Lectins or carbohydrate-binding proteins
• Antibodies or nanobodies
• Yeast display or phage display
• Biophysical binding assays (SPR, BLI, ITC)
• Mammalian cell culture
• Flow cytometry
• Drug delivery or biomaterials
• Biofilm research
• Synthetic biology
• Related field

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.