Biophysics Research Associate

The Biofuel Challenge—Making Clean, Green, Renewable Energy a Cost-Effective Reality
In the fight against global warming, the need to develop clean, green, and renewable sources of energy has become an international call to action. The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a newly established U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center, is responding by assembling an outstanding team of bioenergy scientists and researchers to meet the challenge.
JBEI is a multi-organizational research center that comprises world-class resources and expertise in one facility, which is located in Emeryville, California. The goal of JBEI is to use rapidly advancing scientific techniques, such as systems and synthetic biology, to accelerate the development of the nation’s biofuels industry. JBEI is managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with partner employees from five internationally recognized scientific institutions: Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the University of California at Davis, the University of California at Berkeley, and the Carnegie Institution for Science.
Sandians working at JBEI’s Emeryville facility are essential partners in this aggressive bioenergy effort and will provide the technical expertise needed to produce clean, efficient, and cost-effective biofuels on a commercial scale.

Job Description
As a Sandia employee at JBEI, this technical research associate position will conduct biophysical experiments using a number of methods, including circular dichroism; fluorescence spectroscopy; differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry (DSC/TGA); confocal light microscopy; and Raman, near infrared (NIR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), and possibly electron (EM) spectroscopy. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with other investigators in the JBEI Technologies, Feedstocks, and Deconstruction Divisions. The experiments will focus on characterizing plant cell walls and their degradation by chemicals, enzymes, and microbes in order to gain fundamental biophysical insights. These insights will be used to help overcome the problem of lignocellulose recalcitrance in biofuel production.

Required and Desired Qualifications
A B.S. or M.S. (or equivalent experience) in physics, biophysics, analytical chemistry, biophysical chemistry, or a related field of science is required for this position. Candidates must also have experience with techniques such as circular dichroism; fluorescence spectroscopy; DSC/TGA; confocal light microscopy; and Raman, NIR, FTIR, amd UV-Vis spectroscopy. Applicants must have strong written and oral communication skills, a high degree of organization, a demonstrated ability to work autonomously and obtain results, and an ability to work in a team environment and effectively interact with a broad range of colleagues.

Desired qualifications for this position include the demonstrated abilities to handle multiple projects simultaneously and to keep good records.

Application Procedure
Apply at Sandia’s employment website: http://public.ca.sandia.gov/casite/careers/. Click on Browse current job openings, and type the Job ID number, 60077, into the Keywords box. Click on the Search button to access this job opening, and complete an online application.

Sandia National Laboratories is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V. If this position requires a security clearance granted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. citizenship and employee eligibility for clearance processing will be required at the time of hire. If you hold dual citizenship and accept a job offer for a position that requires a DOE-granted security clearance, you may be asked by DOE to renounce your foreign citizenship and retain only your U.S. citizenship.