Postdoc In-Situ Cryo-ET

TL;DR

Postdoc In-Situ Cryo-ET (cryo-ET/AI): Develop and apply integrated workflows for in situ cryogenic electron tomography, with an accent on automating cellular targeting and lamella preparation plus AI-facilitated identification of regions of interest. Focus on guiding site-specific lamella preparation, acquiring high-quality cryo-ET data, and building computational methods for contextual interpretation of cellular tomograms.

Location: Relocation to the Netherlands required (home base: Jakobi Lab, hirify.global | Kavli Institute of Nanoscience)

Salary: €3546–€5538 (per month, per Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities)

Company

hirify.global is a multidisciplinary research and education institution with state-of-the-art infrastructure for cryoEM/ET and high-performance computing.

What you will do

• Develop integrated, streamlined workflows for in situ cryogenic electron tomography.
• Automate cellular targeting and lamella preparation of frozen-hydrated biological specimens on a unique instrument.
• Establish AI-facilitated approaches to identify regions of interest and guide site-specific lamella preparation.
• Acquire high-quality cryo-ET data and apply the workflows to structural cell biology questions in bacterial motility and cell-autonomous immunity.
• Contribute to computational methods for contextual interpretation of cellular tomograms.
• Collaborate closely with experimentalists and computational researchers to advance methodological capabilities.

Requirements

• PhD in (bio)physics, structural biology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience with FIB-SEM workflows and cryogenic electron tomography, including correlative light and electron microscopy.
• Experience with image analysis, ideally in the context of electron microscopy.
• Strong computational and programming skills (e.g., Python, Julia).
• Interest in or experience with machine learning approaches for scientific data analysis.
• Clear and effective communication in English in an international research environment.

Nice to have

• Experience with cryo-EM/cryo-ET data analysis (tilt series alignment, 2D/3D template matching, subtomogram averaging).
• Experience handling, culturing, and manipulating bacterial and mammalian cells.
• Familiarity with scientific software and instrument development.
• Peer-reviewed publications demonstrating methodological or computational contributions.

Culture & Benefits

• 2-year temporary contract with external finance.
• 38 hours per week, flexible working week.
• Excellent pension scheme via ABP and an individual employment package option each year.
• 232 leave hours per year (at 38 hours), with ability to buy/sell additional leave hours.
• Partially paid parental leave and vitality program support.
• Opportunities for education, training, and courses; mentoring opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

Hiring process

• Submit CV and motivational letter by 31 July 2026.
• Selection includes a knowledge-security risk assessment during the final stages of the process.
• Contact Arjen Jakobi for additional vacancy or selection procedure information (include the vacancy number in the subject line).