Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Physiology & Biophysics

The Zhu Lab in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics at Case Western Reserve University is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a postdoctoral scholar position. This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal for additonal years, contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding. The candidate will investigate host defense mechansms and pathogen adaptation within host cells using cutting-edge cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) techniques in conjunction with cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM) and cryo-focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (cryo-FIB/SEM).

This position focuses on elucidating the structural mechanisms of GBP1 (Guanylate Binding Protein 1), a critical interferon-induced immune protein that recognizes and destroys diverse intracellular bacterial pathogens. This postdoctoral fellow will visualize critical biological processes underlying host cell defense against microbial threats using state-of-the-art cryo-ET, and will contribute to developing novel in situ imaging methods for studying host-pathogen interactions at molecular resolution.

Other duties and responsibilities include:

• Design and execute in vitro reconstitution experiments to investigate GBP1 targeting of pathogen surfaces, including protein purification, mutagenesis, and biochemical characterization.
• Perform cryo-ET sample preparation and data collection, including plunge-freezing, cryo-FIB/SEM lamella millling, and tilt series acquisiton on the Titan Krios cryo-electron microscope.
• Conduct cryo-CLEM to identify and target biological structures of interest, correlating flourescence signals with high-resolution ultrastructural data in both ex situ and in situ contexts.
• Analyze cryo-ET datasets, including tomogram reconstruction, subtomogram averaging, and 3D structure determination, to elucidate GBP1 structural mechanisms during pathogen recognition and organelle interactions.
• Perform mammaliam cell culture, genetic manipulation, and bacterial infection assays to generate cellular models for structural studies.

Ph.D. in Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, or a related field. Experience with cryo-electron microscopy is preferred but not required; candidates with strong backgrounds in structural biology, biochemistry, or molecular/cell biology and a demonstrated interest in learning cryo-EM techniques will also be considered.

Candidates should have at least one peer reviewed publication. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.

In compliance with the City of Cleveland's Pay transparency Ordinance (effective October 27, 2025) the annual starting base salary range for this position is $55,000-$62,652. CWRU considers actors such as (but not limited to) the specific grant funding and the terms of research gant when extending an offer. Postdocs receive individual and family healthcare benefits, life insurance and employee assistance.