Serial Crystallography Research Scientist

$92,701 - $148,316/Yr

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - Berkeley, CA

Full-time - Entry Level

Berkeley, CA

Ambulatory Health Care Services

About the position

The Serial Crystallography Research Scientist position at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory involves developing and automating a self-driving serial crystallographic instrument at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). The role focuses on creating a modular software pipeline for analyzing serial X-ray diffraction patterns and enhancing instrument control for user-free operation. The scientist will collaborate with data scientists and participate in various projects related to X-ray data processing and small-molecule crystallography methods development.

Responsibilities

• Develop and test new methods to automate a self-driving serial crystallographic instrument at the ALS.
• Perform code management, optimization, and pipeline support as part of integration into the larger ALS infrastructure.
• Participate in data collection and processing at X-ray free electron sources.
• Maintain a detailed record of work performed.
• Document and manage code developed using standard source control methods.
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals.
• Present research at seminars and conferences.
• Assist Principal Investigator in developing grant proposals.
• Document and maintain existing and new data processing software.

Requirements

• A Ph.D. (or equivalent knowledge/training) in Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physical Sciences, or a related field and minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in Crystallography or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Expertise in computational approaches in at least three of the following areas: Protein crystallography, Small-molecule chemical crystallography, Structure solution and refinement, Unit cell determination, High speed computing, Image analysis, Large dataset analysis, Error propagation and statistics, Signal processing, GPU acceleration, AI/ML as applied to instrument control.
• A strong background in Python, C++, or an equivalent platform for scientific computing.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including a demonstrated record of publication.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills including experience collaborating with diverse teams of scientific, technical, and operations personnel.

Nice-to-haves

• A Ph.D. in Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physical Sciences, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to develop self-driving systems, whether through instrument support or AI/ML experience in general.
• Familiarity with synchrotron operation and software packages for operation.
• Familiarity with general Python scientific data packages such as NumPy, SciPy, and pandas.
• Familiarity with the DIALS and cctbx packages.
• Expertise in protein crystallographic data analysis and small molecule chemical crystallography.
• Well versed in modern coding practices for scientific computing, including algorithm design and evaluation, source code management under a revision control system like git, and incorporation of readable documentation and comments.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation program
• Excellent health and welfare programs
• Retirement program
• Outstanding development opportunities