Post Doctoral Fellow

The Zia Lab focuses on computational and theoretical modeling of living & non-living Brownian suspensions: gels, biomaterials & biological cells. We recently moved the lab from Stanford to the University of Missouri, and maintain active collaborations with Stanford University, UCSB, and JCVI.

Project > Probing the matter/life nexus: How colloidal physics instantiate life in biological cells. Funded by the Sloan Foundation. This postdoctoral researcher position will work with the PI to build the first physically-resolved model of the JCVI-syn3A minimal cell in service of our goal of shedding light on the matter/life nexus. The postdoc will expand upon our existing models of a spherically enclosed suspension, of the bacterial cytoplasm, and extensive suite of biological data and interactions profiles to (1) Construct a physically-resolved model of the JCVI-syn3A synthetic minimal cell; (2) Increase the resolution of molecular-scale interactions via surface topography, by helping construct methods to bridge physical modeling to atomic-level surface details of biomolecules that underlie their colloidal-scale interactions; (3) Use molecular dynamics simulations to improve the atomistic resolution of the interactions; and (4) Answer specific biological physics questions that interact with the matter/life nexus. Collaboration with experimentalists at JCVI and Stanford will be combined with translating biological and biochemical descriptions of molecular interactions in cytoplasm into a physiologically accurate model.

Responsibilities include code development, design of simulations to interrogate scientific questions, literature study, data analysis and interpretation, presentation at conferences and manuscript preparation.

PhD in related fields by the start of the appointment.

Candidate will be evaluated on experience with:
- Computational background in programming in C , Python, MD
- Scientific background in one of several areas: soft matter, colloidal suspensions, Brownian motion, cell biology, cell biochemistry
- Bonus skills: structural biology, AlphaFold, high performance computing resources, synthetic biology, or systems biology

Submit application letter, CV, reprints of the most important publications and list of three (3) references in single PDF file.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

This position is eligible for University benefits. The University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at

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