Research Assistant – Cryo‑EM & Membrane Protein Specialist

About the role

Join the School of Biological Sciences at Nanyang Technological University as a Research Assistant in Dr. Sandip Basak’s group. You will contribute to high‑quality research on membrane proteins, focusing on ligand‑gated ion channels using cryo‑electron microscopy.

Key responsibilities

• Perform molecular biology experiments and protein expression in insect and/or mammalian cells.
• Purify membrane proteins and carry out related biochemical assays.
• Prepare cryo‑EM samples, optimise grids, and collect high‑resolution data.
• Process cryo‑EM data using structural biology software, interpret results, and generate 3D reconstructions.
• Build and refine atomic models of membrane protein complexes.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree with substantial experience in membrane protein expression and purification.
• Strong background in biochemistry/biophysics and structural biology.
• Prior hands‑on experience with single‑particle cryo‑EM.
• Familiarity with major structural‑biology software packages.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a collaborative, self‑motivated attitude.

Required skills

• Molecular biology
• Protein expression (insect cells)
• Protein expression (mammalian cells)
• Protein purification
• Biochemical techniques
• Cryo‑EM sample preparation
• Grid optimisation
• High‑resolution data collection
• Data processing (structural biology software)
• 3D reconstruction
• Model building
• Model refinement