Postdoctoral Associate

Location: Vestal, NY Category: Professional & Support Staff Job Type: Full-time Posted On: Fri Jul 24 2026 Job Description:

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will be responsible for achieving the Specific Aims of the NIGMS R35 GM130207 project titled "Chemical Approaches to Control the Function of Regulatory RNAs". The project focuses on synthesis, biophysical studies, and biological (cell culture) experiments to test whether backbone-modified nucleic acid analogues can modulate the structure and function of biologically relevant RNAs. Specifically, the Postdoctoral Research Associate will:

• Develop synthetic methods to prepare backbone-modified RNA and peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). This will be done using techniques of synthetic organic chemistry and by adopting and optimizing solid-phase peptide, PNA, and RNA synthesis methods;

• Synthesize small interfering RNAs with various backbone modifications using an automated RNA synthesizer and the monomeric units prepared in (1);

• Test the biophysical and biological properties and RNA interference activity of the synthetic RNA molecules prepared in (2).

Other tasks may include (but are not limited to) testing the effects of various backbone modifications in CRISPR RNAs and/or testing the ability of triplex-forming PNAs to modulate the structure and function of non-coding regulatory RNAs. The project integrates synthetic organic chemistry, nucleic acid chemistry, biophysics, biochemistry, and RNA biology to study the activity of backbone-modified RNAs and triplex-forming PNAs in live cells. The project is interdisciplinary and involves collaborations with structural biochemists. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will also be responsible for supporting these collaborative efforts.

Job Requirements:

• Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry or related field.

• Experience with nucleic acid or peptide chemistry.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and in a collaborative research environment.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred:

• Experience with molecular biology and cell culture techniques.

• Experience with RNA interference and CRISPR.

• Proven track record of publications in high-impact journals.

Additional Information:

Salary: $53,000 annually

Employee Benefits: The Research Foundation for the State University of New York offers a comprehensive benefits package ( that is a valuable part of total compensation. This includes medical, dental, vision, dependent care subsidy and other benefits such as SUNY Tuition Assistance. Furthermore, our 10 Perks of Working at the RF ( provides an at-a-glance view of our top benefits that make us a great place to work.

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