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Description

This fellowship opportunity, offered through the NRC Research Associateship Programs at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC, supports postdoctoral research focused on developing miniature biosensors. The research emphasizes novel methods for sensing and sequencing nucleic acids, proteins, and chemical compounds with a focus on simplicity, low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP), and stability under challenging field conditions.

Key research approaches include:

• CRISPR/Cas recognition systems combined with molecular reporters for nucleic acid detection.
• Nanopore sequencing for identifying unknown targets.
• Small single molecule protein sequencing platforms.
• Development of novel bioinformatics algorithms to analyze data from these platforms.
• Electrochemical sensing using miniaturized potentiostats integrated with molecular recognition components.

This program aims to advance field-ready biosensor technologies that are robust and efficient for real-world applications.

Representative publications related to this research include:

• Schultzhaus et al., "CRISPR-based enrichment strategies for targeted sequencing," Biotechnology Advances (2021).
• Green et al., "Quantum dot-based molecular beacons for quantitative detection of nucleic acids with CRISPR/Cas (N) nucleases," ACS Nano (2022).
• Leski et al., "Use of real-time multiplex PCR, malaria rapid diagnostic test and microscopy to investigate the prevalence of Plasmodium species," Malaria Journal (2020).

Location

Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science & Engineering, Washington, DC.

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