PhD student in Structural and Molecular Biology - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Cell and Molecular Biology is organized into seven research programmes which all focus on different areas of cell and molecular biology: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Biophysics, Molecular Evolution, Molecular Systems Biology and Structural Biology. The scientific basis of what we do lies in biology, but our research overlaps with other areas such as medicine, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, engineering sciences and physics. In total, we are over 200 staff and ~60 Ph.D. students. Please read more about the department’s work at https://icm.uu.se.

Anna Sundborger-Lunna’s lab is part of the Structural Biology Group at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Uppsala University. The Sundborger-Lunna lab uses biochemical, and structural and cell biology methods to study how peripheral membrane proteins modulate (bend, permeabilize and sever) cellular membranes in critical cellular processes involved in neurodegeneration, specifically apoptosis and autophagy. Ongoing projects are focused on elucidating how BAR-protein endophilin B1 regulates mitochondrial dynamics and Bax-dependent cell death, and how mis-folding of Huntingtin leads to formation of toxic amyloid species, neuronal cell death and Huntington’s disease. The majority of the work in focused on structural determination of proteins and protein-lipid complexes by cryo-electron microscopy. This is done both locally, at Cryo-EM Uppsala (https://www.icm.uu.se/cryo-em/) and at the national facility at SciLifeLabs in Solna (https://www.scilifelab.se/units/cryo-em/). 

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Duties
The candidate will predominately work on the VR-funded project concerning the molecular mechanisms controlling mitochondrial membrane remodeling during cell death. This work includes protein expression and purification, biochemical and biophysical methods to study protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions, cell culture, cell-based apoptosis assays, cryo-EM sample preparation, analysis, image analysis and 3D reconstruction.

Requirements
The candidate must have a M.Sc. degree in Biochemistry, Biology, Cell Biology, Chemistry or a related field and extensive experience in protein chemistry (protein expression and purification in E.coli), cryo-EM sample preparation and analysis, in addition to other protein characterization methods, including ITC, SEC, DLS, etc.,). The candidate must also have excellent communication skills and master English in written and spoken form, be detail-oriented, organized and able to keep impeccable notes.

Additional qualifications
Additional qualifications we are looking for are the ability to work in a group and to be motivated to learn new things.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Anna Sundborger-Lunna, 076-047 28 07, anna-sundborger-lunna@icm.uu.se 

Please submit your application by 15 April 2022, UFV-PA 2022/1248.

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