Antibody Engineering & Directed Evolution - Postdoctoral Researcher

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world-changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability.

Our mission spans four critical national security areas nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact.

We are seeking a dedicated, highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to conduct high-impact multidisciplinary research at the interface between protein design, ultra-high-throughput experimentation, and directed evolution. The project you will join spans multiple teams in the Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Computing, and Engineering, working on state of the art approaches for antibody and protein design and optimization. We have extensive collaborations within the University of California network, and experts at Universities, National Laboratories, and industry. You will actively develop and deploy protein display-based technologies for identifying, evaluating, and evolving protein-protein interactions, particularly those involving antibodies. You will interact extensively with AI/ML scientists and automation engineers to develop predictive models for binder design and, ultimately, to automate and scale the data generation process. This position is in the Synthetic Biology Group in the Biosciences and Biotechnology Division within the Physical and Life Sciences Directorate.

This position requires full-time on-site presence due to the nature of the work.

NOTE: This is a two-year Postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of extension to a maximum of three years.

You will

• Design, construct, and characterize yeast surface display libraries (primarily antibody fragments) using FACS andMACS.
• Develop and optimize flow-cytometry binding assays (titrations/affinity binning) and complementary characterization (e.g., ELISA, BLI, SPR).
• Implement and adapt directed-evolution workflows (e.g., in vivo diversification, iterative selection) in collaboration with the project team.
• Collaborate with automation engineers to transfer manual display and selection protocols onto liquid handling and robotic platforms.
• Collaborate with machine learning experts on designing antibody libraries, experimental data analysis, and interpretation.
• Present research progress and results clearly and regularly to interdisciplinary team members, including scientists without wet-lab backgrounds.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation, internal technical reports, and (as appropriate) patent disclosures arising from the work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Must be eligible to access the Laboratory in compliance with Section 3112 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). See Additional Information section below for details.
• PhD in Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Synthetic Biology, Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering or other relevant field with a strong emphasis in molecular microbiology or protein biology.
• Experience involving protein engineering, protein-protein interactions, antibody biology, or a closely related experimental discipline.
• Practical experience withflow cytometry and FACS-based cell sorting, including proficiency with relevant software (e.g. FlowJo or equivalent).
• Significant experience withmolecular cloning, including Gibson and Golden Gate assembly, library-scale assembly, vector design, mutagenesis, and NGS-based verification.
• Competency in basicyeast genetics and cultivation (familiarity withS. cerevisiaeas a model organism is expected).
• Working knowledge ofhow protein-protein interactions are evaluated, including characterization methods (e.g., flow cytometry-based titrations, BLI, SPR, ELISA).
• Familiarity with standardstatistical analysisof experimental data and proficiency in at least one data analysis environment (e.g. Python, R, MATLAB).
• Proficient verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment and successfully communicate technical information.
• Demonstrated ability towork and troubleshoot independently while also functioning as a collaborative team member in an interdisciplinary setting.

Qualifications We Desire

• Direct, extensive experience withyeast display, ideally including work with high-diversity libraries sizes (>105), multi-round selection campaigns, and quantitative affinity binning.
• Experience constructingcombinatorial or DMS/SSM genetic libraries.
• Hands-on experience withMACS for qualitative enrichment of display libraries, including bead coupling of biotinylated antigens and optimization of selection stringency.
• Exposure tocontinuous or semi-continuous directed evolutionapproaches (e.g., OrthoRep, PACE, or other in vivo hypermutation systems).
• Demonstrated experience engineeringantibodies or antibody fragments(e.g. scFv, Fab, VHH).
• Experience withNGS-based library characterization, ideally analying deep sequencing data from sorted yeast pools to track enrichment across selection rounds.
• Comfort withautomation and liquid handling platforms(e.g., Opentrons, Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman), or minimally, experience working collaboratively to adapt benchtop protocols to automated workflows.
• Familiarity withAI-based protein design concepts and tools, e.g., RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN, AlphaFold, or antibody-specific models.

Pay

$118,884 Annually

#LI-Onsite

Position Information

This is a Postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of extension to a maximum of three years, open to those who have been awarded a PhD at time of hire date.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Included in 2026Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
• FlexibleBenefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Our values - visithttps://www.llnl.gov/inclusion/our-values

Security Clearance

None required.However, if your assignment is longer than 179 days cumulatively within a calendar year, you must go through the Personal Identity Verification process. This process includes completing an online background investigation form and receiving approval of the background check.

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Section 3112, generally prohibits citizens of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea without dual US citizenship or legal permanent residence from accessing specific non-public areas of national security or nuclear weapons facilities. The restrictions of NDAA Section 3112 apply to this position. To be qualified for this position, Candidates must be eligible to access the Laboratory in compliance with Section 3112.

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

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Ifyou useamedical device, whichpairs with a mobile device,you must still follow the rules concerningthe mobile device in individual sections within Limited Areas. Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities requireseparate approval. Hearing aids without wireless capabilities or wireless that has been disabled are allowed in Limited Areas, Secure Space and Transit/Buffer Space within buildings.

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