Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Biology (Proteoform Spatial Biology Group - Biohub Chicago)

The Team

The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago (https://www.czbiohub.org/chi) is an independent nonprofit research institute that brings together three powerhouse universities - Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - into a single collaborative technology and discovery engine. CZ Biohub itself supports some of the brightest, boldest engineers, data scientists, and biomedical researchers to make breakthroughs in medicine and develop new technologies, frequently in collaboration with our partner universities. We are guided by our values of scholarly excellence; disruptive innovation; hands-on engineering/hacking/building; partnership and collaboration; open communication and respect; inclusiveness; and opportunity for all.

Our Vision

• We pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
• We enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
• The technologies developed at CZ Biohub Chicago facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond

Diversity of thought, ideas, and perspectives are at the heart of CZ Biohub Network and enable disruptive innovation and scholarly excellence. We are committed to cultivating an organization where all colleagues feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution.

The Opportunity

The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago is seeking outstanding early-career scientists to join and participate in the launch of the Proteoform Spatial Biology Group by continuing their training as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular Biology. The Proteoform Spatial Biology Group aims to uncover the spatiotemporal regulation of proteins and their unique molecular forms, proteoforms, in inflammation and autoimmunity. For this position, the ideal candidate is expected to have experience in working with primary human cell cultures and single-cell nucleic acid sequencing-based assays.

What You'll Do

• Culture, stimulate, and analyze human T-cells from both primary sources and immortalized cell lines 
• Design and execute cutting-edge spatial proteomic studies of inflammation and immune dysregulation using nucleic acid sequencing-based techniques 
• Analyze and interpret results, contributing to collaborative datasets, manuscripts, and analyses
• Present findings internally and externally
• Co-authoring publications

What You'll Bring

Essential -

• PhD in molecular biology, immunology, bioengineering, or a related field 
• Hands-on experience with culturing and manipulating primary human T-cells and immune cell lines 
• Proficiency with cytokine stimulation and immune functional assays 
• Strong experimental design and troubleshooting skills 
• Experience with nucleic acid sequencing-based assays (e.g., molecular barcoding, library preparation for single-cell RNA sequencing) 
• Ability to plan, execute, and troubleshoot complex experiments
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently 

Nice to have -

• Familiarity with single-cell technologies 
• Data analysis skills in R or Python 
• Experience coordinating cross-lab collaborations 
• Experience in protein engineering or site-directed mutagenesis 
• Experience with mass spectrometry- and/or imaging-based proteomics

Compensation

The Chicago, IL base pay range for a new hire in this role is $84,150.00. 

Benefits for the Whole You 

We’re thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible. 

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice. 
• Funding for select family-forming benefits. 
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

If you’re interested in a role but your previous experience doesn’t perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.

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