University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Center for Biomedical Engineering Systems

Duke Energy Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunity

Position Title: Post-Doctoral Fellow                            

Department: Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science

Immediate Supervisor: Dr. Gloria Elliott

Project:  Protein Stabilization in Ionic Liquids (funded by the NIH).

Duties and Responsibilities

The employee will report to Dr. Elliott and will be a senior member of Dr. Elliott's research group, supporting projects through original research, collaboration with other team members, and mentoring of students.  The employee will also contribute to additional proposal efforts, thereby strengthening UNC Charlotte's ability to attract external funding.

The employee's principal research responsibilities will be to evaluate the potential of biomolecule-based ionic liquids (ILs) as protein stabilizers in liquid formulations.  This includes evaluating the cyto-toxicity and water miscibility of a panel of rationally designed ILs to identify the least toxic, most hydrophilic compounds for continued studies.  The ILs are being formulated at Monash University in Australia for this particular project.  Many are already synthesized and awaiting analysis.  Upon completion of toxicity studies the protein solvation characteristics will be studied.   The final goal of the project will be to determine if the selected ILs can preserve protein structure and function in liquid formulation over long periods of storage and also under short term physical and chemical stresses.  The employee will confer with Dr. Elliott on overall research direction and strategy but will exercise a considerable amount of independent judgment and original thinking in carrying out research that contributes to original knowledge and advances the University's reputation in research.  The employee will publish research results, in collaboration with Dr. Elliott, in recognized journals. The employee will share student mentoring with Dr. Elliott and will participate in departmental seminars and other professional activities as assigned.

Discretion and Independent Judgment

The employee will have already acquired a Ph.D. or equivalent degree and should be able to exercise scientific judgment on a day-to-day basis.  He or she will evaluate incoming information in the form of experimental data and observations, written literature documentation, and oral communications, and will use this information to make judgments about what step(s) will next lead to progress in the project(s).

Education, Skills, and Experience Requirements

1.   Ph.D. in bioengineering, biomedical engineering, biochemistry, biotechnology, or related discipline. 

2.   A strong experimental background with evidence of analytical skills related to protein biochemistry.   Experience with HPLC, DSC, CD, Florescence and Absorbance Spectroscopy, and/or FTIR analysis techniques would be desirable. 

To apply:

To apply please send CV and reference letters to:

Dr. Gloria Elliott

Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

9201 University City Blvd.

Charlotte, NC, 28107

(704) 687-8365

gdelliot@uncc.edu