Up to 2 Postdoctoral Researchers in Computational Biochemistry - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Chemistry – BMC is located at the Uppsala Biomedical Centre campus. It belongs to the Faculty of Science and Technology and conducts research in biochemistry, organic chemistry and analytical chemistry. The research is focused on catalysis, molecular recognition, structure and dynamics of complex molecular systems, and relationships between the presence of biomolecules and synthetic chemical compounds with various disease states. The creative and research-intense environment contributes to a broad knowledge-base as well as cutting-edge expertise.

The Kamerlin group seeks up to two postdoctoral researchers to join our team. We are an international and interdisciplinary team of dedicated scientists who come from different backgrounds to study biochemical problems such as enzyme evolution, and structure-function-dynamics relationships in biomolecular systems, as well as fundamental problems in physical organic chemistry, using a range of advanced computational tools. Where relevant to solving problems of interest to us, we also engage in methodology development. These positions are funded by a range of sources including the Swedish Research Council and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The focus of the work will be on using computational tools to understand and guide the evolution of new enzyme functions, as well as the role of ligand-gated conformational changes in enzyme catalysis. More details about our team, and our research interests, can be found on the lab website: http://www.kamerlinlab.com.

Duties:
Full time research, mentorship of junior researchers, and, for interested candidates, the possibility of teaching duties (up to 20%). The position will also include international travel to conferences and meetings with collaborators. From a scientific perspective, this position will involve computational integration of simulation and experimental data using a range of molecular simulation tools, including both standard and enhanced molecular dynamics simulations, empirical valence bond and QM/MM simulations, free energy calculations, structural bioinformatics and machine learning techniques.

Requirements:

• PhD in a STEM discipline.
• A strong background in computational chemistry and/or computational biology, with experience in one or more of the techniques used in the Kamerlin lab (see Duties, above). The PhD degree should have been obtained within three years of the final application date. The three-year period can be extended on special circumstances, such as prolonged periods of illness, parental leave, military service, union duties and others of similar character.
• Either: (1) experience in modeling enzyme reaction mechanisms and/or enzyme function-dynamics relationships, in particular in the context of understanding enzyme evolution, or (2) experience in using enhanced sampling approaches (such as replica exchange or metadynamics) to study biomolecular systems, with particular preference given to studies of the role of conformational dynamics in enzyme engineering or evolution.
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English, as well as publications of a high scientific standard (assessed according to the DORA principles, see https://sfdora.org/read/).
• Good collaborative skills, such as working with others or in a team.

Additional qualifications:
Programming skills and/or expertise in structural bioinformatics, statistical mechanics or machine learning approaches to study enzyme function and/or evolution.

Emphasis will also be placed on personal skills. In this case, we place particular weight on the ability to work as part of a team and a positive attitude towards mobility. The applicant will be responsible for a part of a larger project, and the ability to work independently and to take responsibility will be required.

Application
The application must include a CV, full publication list, copies of diplomas and certificates, contact details of two references, and a personal letter including a short description of research interests. The application will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Appropriate education and work/research in related fields. Emphasis will also be placed on personal skills.

Uppsala University strives to be an inclusive workplace that promotes equal opportunities and attracts qualified candidates who can contribute to the University’s excellence and diversity. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and from people of all backgrounds.

Salary: Individually negotiated salary.

Starting date: 01-01-2019 or as otherwise agreed.

Type of position: Temporary position ending 31-12-2020.

For further information about the position please contact
Lynn Kamerlin (lynn.kamerlin@kemi.uu.se

Please submit your application by 12 December 2018, UFV-PA 2018/3868

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? If so, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus. You are also welcome to contact International Faculty and Staff Services at ifss@uadm.uu.se.