Postdoctoral Position in Gene Regulation and High-Resolution Imaging

The laboratory of Dr. Shasha Chong in the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA, is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow. The Chong lab started at Caltech in August 2021 and investigates transcriptional control mechanisms in the context of physiology and disease, including different forms of cancer. We are particularly interested in understanding the interaction behaviors of intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDRs), including their phase separation behaviors in living cells, and how they play a role in mammalian transcriptional regulation. We develop quantitative single-cell and single-molecule imaging methods and combine them with molecular biology, biochemical, genetic, proteomic, and bioinformatic approaches in our research. We work in a highly interdisciplinary environment at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and physics.

The postdoctoral fellow will participate in one or more of the following funded projects in the lab: 1) visualizing the dynamic interplay between gene transcription and IDR-mediated hub/condensate assembly, 2) developing methods to characterize the selectivity of IDR–IDR interactions, 3) identifying small molecules to disrupt disease-relevant IDR–IDR interactions. Example papers and preprints of Dr. Shasha Chong in the related fields are: Chong et al, Cell 2014, Chong et al, Science 2018, Chong and Mir, J Mol Biol 2020, and Chong et al, BioRxiv 2021 (in press in Mol Cell). More information about Dr. Shasha Chong and research in the Chong lab can be found on the lab website: https://www.schonglab.com.

Qualifications:

The applicant must have received, or be scheduled to receive, a Ph.D. in biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology, chemistry, or other related fields by the start of the appointment. A strong record of research productivity is required. Expertise in molecular cloning is required. Previous experience in one or more of the following techniques/fields is strongly preferred: gene regulation, CRISPR-mediated genome-editing, quantitative live-cell optical imaging, single-molecule optical imaging, protein purification, proximity-based labeling, and quantitative mass spectrometry.

How to apply:

Interested applicants should email Dr. Shasha Chong (schong@caltech.edu) a CV and a description of past research experience and future research interests. Following an initial screening of these application materials, appropriate candidates will be contacted by email for letters of reference. Review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled.