Post Doctoral Associate - Biology

The Luque Lab is searching for a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Biology in collaboration with the Silveira Lab to work on a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation-funded project investigating the origin of viruses. The Luque lab has recently established an interdisciplinary method combining theoretical biophysics, mathematical modeling, machine learning, bioinformatics, and metagenomic sequencing to predict and identify viral candidates that are key to investigating viral evolution but are missing among cultured viruses. The postdoc will carry out bioinformatic analyses of environmental sequenced data to obtain high-quality viral contigs for putative ancient viruses and synthesize optimized plasmids to express the putative viral structural components in model bacterial systems, like E. coli. The Luque lab will cover the postdoc's materials, office space, and computational infrastructure, while the Silveira lab will provide the lab infrastructure for the postdoc to carry out the synthesis and viral protein expression. The common microscopy facility will be used for transmission electron microscopy.

The ideal candidate will have a background in bioinformatics, phage biology, genomics, protein expression, electron microscopy, and experience in metagenomics. Other essential qualifications are a background in statistical methods, a strong work ethic, the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and collaborative group, and a track record of publications. The candidate must also be willing to mentor students.

Previous experience in structural bioinformatics, statistical modeling, and phage particle analysis is desirable but not required. The candidate must have a deep interest in phage biology, bioinformatics, and metagenomics. 

The Postdoctoral Associate will have opportunities for career growth by collaborating with multiple research groups, attending meetings, and through institutional access to career development platforms at the University of Miami. 

This is a two-year position with the possibility of a third-year renewal if funds for the project are available. The start date is flexible, but an ideal candidate would begin in Spring 2024.

Please include your CV (including contact information for three references) and a cover letter explaining your fit for this position.

Minimum Qualifications:

Doctoral degree or equivalent in their specialty.