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Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Onsite
As a (wet lab) Scientist, you will play a pivotal role in our team. This position is at the frontier of drug discovery, focusing to a large extend on the experimental validation of protein-ligand interactions. We will be targeting proteins associated with a range of areas, including epigenetic regulation, cancer, and healthy aging/longevity. You will work on producing high-quality proteins, designing and performing binding assays by biophysical methods (SPR, MST, ITC, BLI) or Fluorescence-based (i.e. FP, TR-FRET) methods, and optimizing workflows for ligand discovery. Depending on your skills, you might also work on structural studies (NMR, X-ray, cryo-EM, …) and use the state-of-the-art core facilities and centers dedicated to structural studies at St. Jude. In your role as lab manager you will be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the wet lab. Our lab is new, and you will be the first full-time team member in our wet lab. In addition, there is the “dry lab” where the computational/theoretical researchers will be located.
In our lab, you will have the opportunity to lead collaborative projects, mentor junior scientists and students, and contribute to high-impact publications. Collaboration is at the heart of our work, and you will closely work with our computational and other wet-lab colleagues to validate and experimentally verify the predicted hit and lead compounds. By working together in a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment, you will have the opportunity to contribute to multiple ligand/drug discovery projects and make a lasting impact on the lives of children and the world.
What we're looking for
High-throughput binding assays and screening automation for drug discovery
We are especially interested in candidates with deep hands-on expertise in developing and executing binding assays for ligand discovery. The ideal candidate has experience designing assay workflows for small-molecule screening, hit confirmation, affinity and kinetic characterization, counter-screening, and assay troubleshooting.
A strong candidate should be comfortable not only running assays manually, but also adapting assays to high-throughput and semi-automated formats using liquid-handling robots, plate readers, automated dispensing systems, or related screening platforms.
Relevant expertise includes:
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) for binding validation, affinity ranking, kinetics, and mechanism-of-binding analysis
Plate-based fluorescence assays such as FP, TR-FRET/HTRF, fluorescence intensity, or related high-throughput formats
Use of automation platforms for assay setup, compound handling, serial dilution, reagent dispensing, plate-based screening, and data-quality control
Other biophysical or biochemical binding technologies such as BLI, MST, DSF/nanoDSF, ITC, AlphaScreen/AlphaLISA, or related approaches
Assay development, optimization, validation, controls, reproducibility, Z-factor/statistical quality assessment, and artifact/counter-screen design
Protein expression and purification
Experience producing high-quality recombinant proteins for biochemical and biophysical assays is important, especially in bacterial, insect, and/or mammalian expression systems. Experience with challenging targets, membrane proteins, multi-domain proteins, or protein complexes is preferred.
Structural biology (preferred, not required)
Experience with structural methods is a plus, especially cryo-EM or X-ray crystallography. However, structural biology expertise is not required for this position. The priority is strong experimental ligand-discovery capability, with access to world-class structural biology core facilities at St. Jude.
Minimum Education and/or Training:
Minimum Experience:
About St. Jude
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a world-class research institution dedicated to pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases of childhood. The first and only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Our 300 faculty work across the spectrum of basic, translational, clinical, and population science in a highly collaborative multidisciplinary environment that includes a Nobel laureate and members of the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine. St. Jude is ranked on Fortune Magazine’s “Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma” and Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”. St. Jude is one of the best-funded research institutes in the US with an annual budget of over $2 billion per year (https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/financials.html).
What We Will Offer You
Working at St. Jude is a remarkable experience in many ways, and you will be provided with many special perks.
About Memphis
St. Jude is located in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, a vibrant and friendly city at the historic American crossroads of music, trade, food, and culture. Living in Memphis provides several unique advantages, including:
For a video with testimonials about how new St. Jude members experienced Memphis, see here: https://www.stjude.org/education-training/support-for-clinical-trainees/relocation-to-memphis.html
Compensation
In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $86,320 - $154,960 per year for the role of Wet Lab Scientist - Ligand Discovery in Gorgulla Lab.Explore our exceptional benefits!
No Search Firms
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.