Job Abstract

Berkeley Lab’s (LBNL) Biological Systems and Engineering (BSE) Division is looking for a Biologist Research Scientist to join the Deconstruction Division at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) located in Emeryville, CA.

In this exciting role, you will develop multiple biotechnology relevant hosts including Pseudomonas putida for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. Specifically, this project has two main goals. 1.) Generating strains that have been engineered to be capable of converting lignin derived intermediates into biofuels and bioproducts. Engineered and modified strains will be examined under a variety of cultivation modes and scales using multi-omics methods. The resulting systems biology data will be used to develop biodesign approaches to build host chassis that can maintain production phenotype in a stable and reliable manner for longer periods of time in cultivation regimes required for industrial scale-up and production. 2.) Generating strains that show high productivity in industrial conditions – such as low oxygen, high gravity and mixed carbon source regimes.

This position has an anticipated start date of August 15, 2024.

What You Will Do:

• Omics-guided selection of environmental microbiome for C1 conversion and anaerobic
• lignin conversion, particularly acetogenic consortia.
• Isolation of marine organisms and metabolic analysis (HPLC, GC).
• Establish enzymatic biomass deconstruction and activity assays.
• Apply omics tools (metabolomics, proteomics), coupled with advanced genomics to optimize strains and microbial communities.
• Examine wild-type, engineered and libraries of microbiomes and microbial strains in a range of cultivation modes and regimes – to collect growth and production data, and samples for multi-omics experiments (RNAseq, resequencing, protein and metabolite analysis).
• Develop tools to optimize culture conditions and biodesign strategies in key microbial hosts, including methanotrophs and acetogens.
• Demonstrate increased strain capacity and maintain high productivity for longer periods of time – specifically in strains of methanotrophs.
• Participate in group meetings and seminars.
• Lead the development and authorship of peer-reviewed publications.
• Lead the development and submission of proposals to internal and external funding opportunities.
• Maintain an accurate and detailed scientific logbook of all experiments performed. Ensure that others could reproduce results.

What is Required:

• A Ph.D. (or equivalent knowledge/training) in Environmental Biology, Environmental Biotechnology, Applied Microbiology, Biotechnology, or a related field and minimum of 5 years of relevant experience working with biotechnology applications that use microbiology, environmental biology, molecular biology, systems biology research, and the development of studies of microbiomes and microbial systems or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience working with acetogenic consortia and methanotrophs.
• Experience with anaerobic digestion and gas fermentation.
• Experience working with bioreactors such as AMBR250 and Sartorius.
• Experience working in collaboration with user-facilities and other computations / analytical teams.
• Experience with undertaking a mechanistic evaluation of regulation and transcription in biological systems.
• Strong analytical skills including experience identifying issues, troubleshooting complex problems, and recommending appropriate solutions.
• Demonstrated record of publication and a successful record of grant writing.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including experience promoting and presenting scientific projects to a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills including experience collaborating with diverse teams of scientific, operations, and technical staff.

Desired Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in Environmental Biology, Environmental Biotechnology, Applied Microbiology, Biotechnology, or a related field.
• Experience serving as Postdoctoral Fellow.
• Experience training and directing the work of early career, technical support staff, and/or students.

Notes:

• For full consideration, please apply with a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume by June 27, 2024.
• This is a full-time career appointment, exempt (monthly paid) from overtime pay.
• This position is expected to pay $98,844 - $158,136 per year for job code S05.2, which fits within the full salary range of $98,844 - $184,512 per year. Salary for this position will be commensurate with the final candidate’s qualification and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications, and aligned with the internal peer group.
• This position may be subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• This position will be performed onsite at the Emeryville Station East Operations Center (ESE) — Bldg. 978, located at 5885 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA 94608.

Learn About Us:

Berkeley Lab (LBNL) addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 16 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

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