MacCHESS Staff Scientist (Research Associate)

at  Cornell University

POSITION SUMMARY

The Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) is an internationally-recognized research facility that provides high intensity x-ray beams and state-of-the-art instrumentation to scientists and students from university, government and industrial labs around the world. These groups employ CHESS to conduct research in areas ranging from biology, physics, and chemistry to mechanical and structural engineering, advanced manufacturing, environmental science, materials science, and cultural heritage.
CHESS is seeking a Ph.D. level scientist to work with a dynamic, interdisciplinary team in structural biology at the (Biological Small Angle X-ray Solution Scattering (BioSAXS) station at CHESS. This includes both support of users performing routine BioSAXS experiments and the development of novel techniques in X-ray scattering as applied to structural biology. User support includes continuing developments to maintain a state-of-the-art facility. Novel techniques are developed in collaboration with scientists who need capabilities beyond the current standard methods. BioSAXS has a strong history of hosting experiments on samples ranging from typical protein and nucleic acid solutions to model membranes to nanoparticles (for drug delivery) to cell nuclei. Techniques employed include static and flow-cell SAXS, chromatography-coupled SAXS, cryo-SAXS, anaerobic SAXS (maintaining a sample under oxygen-free conditions from preparation through placement in the X-ray beam), and high-pressure SAXS. High pressure is a current focus area, using both a static pressure cell and a system that maintains high pressure throughout a chromatography-coupled experiment.
The BioSAXS staff scientist will occasionally be called upon to assist at the MacCHESS Flexible Crystallography (FlexX) station. Areas of particular interest are crystallography at (1) ambient temperature, including serial techniques, and (2) high pressure, in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) or using the high-pressure cryocooling technique, especially for the trapping of intermediate states of reactions in crystallo. Recent achievements include development of a suite of equipment for fixed-target serial crystallography and installation of a DAC specially designed for MX. The successful candidate will serve as a staff scientist supporting in-person and remote users of the MacCHESS high-energy diffraction and scattering beamlines, and will actively contribute to developing next-generation synchrotron light source technology and techniques.
This position is jointly funded by two CHESS sub-facilities, the NSF-funded Center for High-Energy X-ray Sciences at CHESS (CHEXS, an NSF-supported program) and the Macromolecular Diffraction Facility of the Cornell High-Energy Synchrotron Source (MacCHESS, an NIH-supported National Resource) and will involve collaborative projects and beamline/user support across both programs.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Ph.D. or equivalent in structural biology, biophysics, chemistry, or a related field and 4-5 years post-PhD experience.
• Interest and ability to work in a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Solid record of scientific publications and achievement.
• Passion for contributing to an environment that builds individual and organizational effectiveness.
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical experts, operations staff, and researchers at all levels, including students, postdocs, interns, and facility users.
• Experience with complex experimental instrumentation.
• Proficiency in science communication, written and oral, formal and informal.
  Preference will be given to applicants with a background in BioSAXS and/or biological high-pressure studies, particularly geared towards structural biology and involving scattering or diffraction techniques, especially using large user facilities. Experience analyzing large experimental datasets is also an asset.
  The initial appointment is for three years and can be renewed based on satisfactory performance and availability of funds. For additional information or questions about the position, please contact MacCHESS Program Director Jennifer Wierman (jlw352@cornell.edu). The posting will remain open until the position is filled. Please apply by submitting all materials to this AJO listing.
  Compensation: The Salary Range for this position is $80,000 to $115,000.

• Support an active user community, including users from NSF, NIH, Industry and Academia, who are engaged in employing X-ray techniques to characterize a variety of biological systems.
• Creatively contribute to the development of new BioSAXS synchrotron methods and techniques, from experimental hardware to data reduction and analysis required by users.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with multiple stakeholders, including facility users, funding agencies, and collaborators at other institutions. This includes promoting and disseminating MacCHESS/CHEXS developments and capabilities to the structural biology community.
• Maintain individual record of scholarship and contribute to the scholarly output of the lab through internal research highlights, publications in peer reviewed journals, grant and report writing, and presentations at national and international conferences.
• Mentor students and postdoctoral researchers in synchrotron and BioSAXS techniques.