Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Agency

Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Department

Natural Toxin Research Center

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Kingsville, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

About Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), the oldest institution of higher learning in South Texas and a proud member of the Texas A&M University System, stands as the region's premier university. TAMUK offers the widest range of academic programs and degrees in South Texas, provides exceptional learning and residential facilities, conducts impactful research, awards substantial scholarships, and has awarded more than 80,000 degrees in the institution's 100-year history.

The university is recognized for its unwavering commitment to student success, meaningful research, and deep community engagement. With a welcoming campus culture and strong regional partnerships, TAMUK offers faculty and staff a unique opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of students and the broader South Texas region.

Location:

The University is located in historic Kingsville, a friendly, safe city of 25,000 that is the home of the legendary King Ranch. Corpus Christi and its beaches are just 40 miles to the northeast, and the border with Mexico is 120 miles to the south at Brownsville or 119 miles to the west at Laredo.

For more information, .

Position Overview

The National Natural Toxins Research Center (NNTRC) invites applications for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate with extensive experience in venom and toxin research. The successful candidate will conduct independent and collaborative research focused on the chemical, biological, and pharmacological characterization of natural toxins, with an emphasis on translational and mechanistic studies. This position offers access to unique venom libraries, state-of-the-art analytical and biological assay facilities, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Research Responsibilities

* Design, execute, and interpret research projects related to venom-derived and other natural toxins.

* Perform chemical characterization and purification of toxins using chromatographic techniques, including HPLC.

* Conduct and analyze in vitro assays (e.g., cell-based assays, mechanistic, enzymatic, and functional assays, and biochemical analyses relevant to toxin biology).

* Perform and interpret in vivo mouse assays in compliance with institutional animal care and use protocols.

* Apply large data analysis approaches to biological, chemical, and/or omics-scale datasets to elucidate toxin mechanisms and therapeutic potential.

* Investigate toxin-host interactions, including effects on vascular, immune, or cellular signaling pathways, using appropriate in vitro /or ex vivo and in vivo models.

* Utilize flow cytometry for cellular phenotyping, functional assays, and toxin-cell interaction studies.

* Maintain and expand mammalian cell culture systems relevant to toxin research.

* Ensure the accuracy and detail of laboratory records, emphasizing rigorous data collection, documentation, and compliance with institutional biosafety, animal care regulations, and research ethics standards as applicable.

* Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including chemists, biologists, pharmacologists, and clinicians.

* Prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and present findings at scientific meetings.

* Assist with grant writing, progress reports, and other scholarly outputs.

* Provide mentorship and technical training to students or junior researchers in experimental design, laboratory techniques, data analysis, and responsible conduct of research.

* Contribute to the overall research mission of the laboratory by troubleshooting experiments, optimizing protocols, and assisting with laboratory management as needed.

Other Duties

* The above represents the major duties, responsibilities, and authorities of this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. Other duties may be assigned.

Required Qualifications

* Education - Ph.D. in Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, or a closely related natural science discipline.

* Experience - Two years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

* Experience with additional analytical or bioanalytical techniques (e.g., mass spectrometry, proteomics, bioinformatics, bioassay-guided fractionation, and/or imaging techniques).

* Familiarity with venom libraries, toxin structure-function studies, or drug discovery pipelines.

* Statistical or computational skills relevant to biological or chemical data analysis.

* Demonstrated extensive experience with venom-derived toxins, natural toxins, and related bioactive proteins or peptides, including experimental design and data interpretation.

* Proven expertise in:

* High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

* In vitro assays and mammalian cell culture

* In vivo mouse assays

* Flow cytometry

* Cell-based functional…