Postdoctoral Research Associate - Cell & Molecular Biology - Kosinski Lab

A postdoctoral research associate position is available with Dr. Jan Kosinski.

The Kosinski lab studies how viruses and macromolecular machines work inside cells, combining cryo-electron tomography with AI-based and integrative structural modeling, crosslinking mass spectrometry, and cell biology. The lab opens at St. Jude in January 2027, relocating from EMBL Hamburg. Our main focus is mapping the influenza A virus infection cycle and developing methods for in-cell structural biology. This project will study influenza A virus infection inside cells using cryo-electron tomography. You will image infected human cells, identify viral and host complexes in their native context, and combine this with structural modeling and proteomics to build a spatially and temporally resolved picture of the infection cycle. The long-term goal is to understand how the virus remodels the cell and to identify host factors that could be targeted therapeutically.

Position Responsibilities:

• Prepare and image infected cells by cryo-electron tomography, including cell culture under BSL-2 containment, vitrification, cryo-FIB milling and tilt-series collection

• Process tomograms and characterise macromolecular complexes by subtomogram averaging

• Integrate the structural data with the lab’s interaction mapping, proteomics and computational modeling

• Design and run follow-up cell biology experiments to test mechanistic hypotheses

• Publish, present at international meetings, and mentor students and interns

Minimum Education and/or Training:

PhD in structural biology, cell biology, virology, biochemistry, biophysics or a related field, awarded or expected before the start date.

Special Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

Required:

• Experience with cryo-electron microscopy or cryo-electron tomography sample preparation and data collection

• Mammalian cell culture and the ability to work under BSL-2 containment

• Comfort with Linux and command-line pipelines, and with using AI coding assistants such as Claude or ChatGPT to write and adapt scripts for image processing

• A first-author publication record, good English, and a collaborative attitude

Preferred:

• Cryo-FIB milling and lamella preparation

• Subtomogram averaging and tomogram processing

• Virology, especially influenza

• Fluorescence microscopy, correlative light and electron microscopy,

About the lab and St. Jude:

My aim is to train you to become an independent scientist. You will own your project, have frequent one-to-one time, and be supported in writing your own fellowships and presenting your work internationally. You will have access to the St. Jude Cryo-EM/ET Center, with three Titan Krios microscopes, plasma-FIB and Aquilos instruments, as well as our own BSL-2 cell culture suite and plunge freezer, extensive core facilities and a large computing cluster. Joining a lab at its start also means unusual freedom to help shape its direction.

Email Contact: [email protected]

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