Important Info
Please apply through this form: https://forms.gle/ZkD488dieV4wabge8
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Postdoctoral Scholar – Bacterial Chemistry, Microbiology, and Antibacterial Discovery
The Cegelski Lab in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University is recruiting a creative and motivated postdoctoral scholar to pursue research at the interface of microbiology, chemical biology, biochemistry, and biophysics, with a strong focus on antibacterial discovery and mechanistic studies of bacterial physiology.
Our research is driven by the urgent need for strategies to understand and treat bacterial infections, with intensely translational efforts focused on discovering and developing new antibacterial agents. We are advancing antibacterial compounds already introduced by our group while developing new ones, and we couple this work with innovative strategies to define the molecular basis for their modes of action in bacterial cells. In parallel, we investigate how bacteria build and organize their cell surfaces, cell walls, and extracellular structures; how these architectures shape bacterial physiology and biofilm formation; and how they can be disrupted by antibiotics and other small molecules. Through this integration, we bridge fundamental discovery and translation.
The Opportunity
The successful candidate will lead projects involving bacterial physiology, antimicrobial susceptibility, microscopy, and mechanistic studies of bacterial cell-surface and extracellular biology. Depending on the candidate’s interests and expertise, projects may include:
- antibacterial discovery and mechanism-of-action studies;
- antimicrobial susceptibility and inhibitor assays, including MIC measurements and related phenotypic assays;
- fluorescence and other microscopy approaches to examine bacterial morphology, cell surfaces, and extracellular structures;
- studies of bacterial cell-wall biosynthesis and architecture;
- biofilm formation and the assembly of extracellular amyloid and polysaccharide structures;
- biochemical and chemical-biological approaches to identify and characterize molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial phenotypes.
A distinctive aspect of our laboratory is the ability to connect these microbiological and cellular measurements with molecular-level and atomic-level studies of bacterial systems, including through close interactions with researchers using solid-state NMR spectroscopy and complementary biophysical approaches.
The postdoctoral scholar will have substantial intellectual ownership of their research, including opportunities to develop new directions, design and execute experiments, analyze and interpret data, prepare manuscripts, present research, and contribute to collaborative projects within the lab and across Stanford.
Research Environment
The Cegelski Lab is highly interdisciplinary. Group members come from backgrounds including microbiology, chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, physical chemistry, biophysics, and engineering, and we value the different experimental and intellectual perspectives these backgrounds bring.
Prof. Lynette Cegelski is Professor of Chemistry and, by courtesy, of Chemical Engineering at Stanford and is affiliated with the Stanford Biophysics Program and Sarafan ChEM-H. The laboratory has strong collaborations across Stanford and beyond, providing opportunities for postdoctoral scholars to expand both their scientific expertise and collaborative networks.
More information about our research, publications, and group is available at cegelskilab.stanford.edu.
- PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in microbiology, chemical biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, chemistry, or a related field by the start of the appointment.
- Strong experimental research experience involving bacteria or related biological systems.
- Interest in understanding bacterial physiology and molecular mechanisms through rigorous, quantitative experimentation.
- Ability to design experiments, analyze and interpret data, troubleshoot, and communicate scientific results.
- Enthusiasm for collaborative and interdisciplinary research.
Particularly Relevant Experience:
We especially encourage applications from candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:
- bacterial culture and microbial physiology;
- antimicrobial susceptibility testing, MIC assays, or antibiotic mechanism-of-action studies;
- fluorescence microscopy or related cellular imaging approaches;
- bacterial genetics or molecular biology;
- bacterial cell-envelope or cell-wall biology;
- biofilms and extracellular matrix biology;
- protein biochemistry, binding assays, or related biochemical methods;
- chemical biology or small-molecule studies of bacterial systems.
Candidates are not expected to have experience in all of these areas. We are particularly interested in outstanding experimental scientists who bring strong expertise in microbiology or chemical biology and are eager to learn complementary approaches.
Application materials include: (1) Curriculum vitae; (2) a letter of interest describing your research experience, the scientific questions that most interest you, and why you are interested in joining the Cegelski Lab; and (3) names and contact information for two to three references.