Description
Determine and analyze 3D structures of proteins, nucleic acids, and assemblies to elucidate mechanism and enable structure-guided discovery.
- • Plan and execute structural studies using X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, NMR, and complementary biophysics.
- • Design constructs and perform cloning, expression, and purification to produce high-quality samples.
- • Develop and optimize crystallization, grid preparation, and NMR sample conditions.
- • Collect and process diffraction, EM, and NMR data; conduct phasing, reconstruction, refinement, and model building.
- • Analyze structures to interpret mechanisms, conformational dynamics, and ligand interactions.
- • Integrate structural, biochemical, and computational results to test hypotheses and refine experiments.
- • Develop and run biophysical and functional assays (e.g., DSF, ITC, SPR, MST, activity) to validate samples and interactions.
- • Support structure-guided drug design and biologics engineering with actionable models and insights.
- • Evaluate and implement new technologies such as direct electron detectors, microED, time-resolved methods, and AI-based prediction.
- • Operate and maintain specialized instruments, including X-ray diffractometers, cryo-EM microscopes, NMR spectrometers, and FPLC systems.
- • Develop SOPs and safety guidelines for cryogen handling, radiation, and high-vacuum equipment.
- • Coordinate research with chemists, biochemists, computational scientists, and pharmacologists.
- • Confer with vendors on instrumentation, detectors, grids, reagents, and service contracts; assess customization needs.
- • Supervise and mentor technical staff, students, and postdoctoral fellows.
- • Plan project budgets, timelines, and resource use; track expenditures and utilization.
- • Maintain accurate electronic lab notebooks, LIMS records, and data archives.
- • Design and manage databases for constructs, plasmids, variants, and structures.
- • Prepare figures, reports, manuscripts, PDB depositions, and conference presentations.
- • Write grant applications and contribute to funding proposals.
- • Develop quality control criteria and workflows to ensure data reproducibility and model quality.
- • Apply structural insights to applied research, including enzyme engineering, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
- • Organize and prioritize laboratory activities to meet project goals and compliance requirements.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
