Hardware Postdoc

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The Nanoscience Initiative at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate. The postdoctoral researcher will work with Prof. Xi Chen, Prof. Rein Ulijn, and facility directors to develop next-generation automation technologies for advanced biomaterials research. This position is supported by a newly funded NSF Cloud Lab (AI-BIOME) project aimed at using robots and AI-driven discovery to design, make, and improve materials far faster than conventional trial-and-error methods.

The successful candidate will lead the development of hardware and software systems that automate experimental workflows for the discovery and characterization of biomaterials, including self-assembling peptides and other bioinspired materials. The project combines embedded systems, robotics, scientific instrumentation, software engineering, and biomaterials research to enable high-throughput, cloud-connected experimentation across multiple imaging and surface science characterization platforms.

This position offers a unique opportunity to develop autonomous laboratory technologies that will accelerate biomaterials discovery while contributing to the next generation of cloud-connected scientific infrastructure. The successful candidate will work at the intersection of robotics, embedded systems, scientific instrumentation, artificial intelligence, and biomaterials research, with opportunities to publish in leading journals and collaborate with national laboratories and academic and industrial partners.

Research Responsibilities:

• Design and build motorized sample stages capable of handling multi-sample arrays for automated experimentation.

• Develop embedded hardware and firmware for precision motion control, sensor integration, and instrument interfacing.

• Create software frameworks and API-based instrument control for automated data acquisition and experiment execution.

• Integrate microscopy, imaging, and surface science instruments into unified automation workflows.

• Develop automate workflows for peptide synthesis, biomaterial characterization, and high-throughput experimentation.

• Develop scheduling, scripting, and remote-control capabilities for cloud-enabled laboratories.

• Collaborate with National Laboratories and other PCL nodes to deploy automation solutions across multiple experimental platforms.

• Document hardware and software designs and contribute to open-source software and laboratory automation tools where appropriate.

• Publish research in leading journals and present findings at scientific conferences.

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field.

Candidates should possess strong experience in several of the following areas:

• Scientific instrument control and laboratory automation

• Embedded systems development

• Hardware programming in C/C++, Python, and/or LabVIEW

• API development and software integration

• Microcontroller-based system design

• Motion control systems, including stepper motors, servo motors, and linear stages

• Interfacing scientific instruments and hardware using Serial, USB, Ethernet, or related communication protocols

• Integration of cameras, sensors, and data acquisition hardware

• Scientific software development on Linux or Windows platforms

Experience in one or more of the following areas is desirable but not required:

• Biomaterials research

• Microscopy and imaging systems

• Surface science instrumentation (e.g., AFM, optical microscopy, profilometry, spectroscopy)

• Laboratory robotics and high-throughput experimentation

• Machine vision and computer vision

• Cloud-based laboratory automation or remote instrumentation

The ideal candidate is an innovative engineer who enjoys building complete hardware-software systems to accelerate scientific discovery. They should be comfortable rapidly prototyping new instrumentation, integrating commercial scientific instruments, and collaborating with researchers from engineering, chemistry, materials science, and biology.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills are expected, along with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary research environment.

Please note that applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.

Pay Range:

$66,300

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