Postdoctoral Fellow (PREP0004081) Full-time

Postdoctoral Fellow

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and thus requires that such institutions be the recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.

U.S. Citizen Preferred

Research Title: Control and measurement of microparticle in microfluidics

The work will entail design and testing of new methods for manipulation and optical characterization of materials in microflows. The scientist will work closely with a collaborative, multidisciplinary team of researchers to design, build, and model novel instrumentation that provides measurements of chemicals, microparticles, cells and cellular organelles in optofluidic measurement systems. The scientist will conduct experiments to estimate chemical mixing times, particle sizes and counts, fluorophore quantification limits, and limits to dynamic measurement delays that may be limited, for example, by particle tracking capabilities. The scientist will maintain cells and prepare assays of beads, cells, and organelles that will be used in devices that can passively purify reagents in flow (e.g. inertial focusing and dynamic lateral displacement arrays). Devices to stimulate and assess cellular function will also be fabricated and tested. Fluorescence microscopy and conventional flow cytometry will be utilized to benchmark measurements.

Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Maintain cells and prepare reagents
• Design, build and use microfluidic devices with integrated optical measurement regions
• Analyze cell and particle measurements in microfluidic devices and in culture via microscopy
• Presenting results at internal meetings, and occasional meetings with external stakeholders.
• Ensuring that results, protocols, software, and documentation have been archived or otherwise transmitted to the larger organization.

Qualifications:

• A doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience with microfluidics device design, control, and use
• Experience with clean room photolithography
• Experience with fluorescence microscopy
• Familiarity with Matlab software for instrument control and data analysis
• Familiarity with flow cytometry
• Strong oral and written communication skills