PhD student in Molecular Biophysics

Are you interested in working with powerful new single-molecule imaging approaches to unravel fundamental principles of genome organization, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a PhD position at Uppsala University.

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.

The Deindl lab offers a stimulating multidisciplinary environment where you will work closely with experts in biophysics, biochemistry, structural and molecular biology. Our overall mission is to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying genome-interacting processes using a highly multidisciplinary approach that combines advanced single-molecule fluorescence imaging with a range of biophysical, structural, and biochemical techniques. For more information about the research in the Deindl laboratory, please visit http://www.deindl-lab.com/.

Duties
In the framework of an ERC Advanced Grant, the student will investigate the activity and function of disease-related genome-interacting protein complexes. A strong focus will be on developing and applying novel single-molecule FRET-based imaging approaches to record the real-time dynamics by which these protein complexes manipulate their nucleic acid substrates. Additionally, the student will leverage a powerful and as-of-yet unpublished approach, which combines single-molecule fluorescence microscopy with next-generation sequencing to enable highly multiplexed observations of complex dynamics at the single-molecule level. To uncover fundamental principles of genome organization, the student will comprehensively profile how the dynamics of genome-processing protein complexes depend on the sequence of the nucleic acids they interact with. Furthermore, a range of biochemical and biophysical approaches will be employed to further characterize these processes.

Requirements
To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must

• hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in physics, biophysics, biochemistry or similar, or
• have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master’s level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a master's degree or equivalent proficiency in physics, biophysics, biochemistry or similar. Excellent knowledge of English is a prerequisite, as the position is located in an international environment. We value personal characteristics such as good co-operative ability, a self-motivated personality, and a keen interest in basic research and in addressing fundamental biological questions with quantitative approaches.

Additional qualifications
Prior experience and strong interest in programming and data analysis (e.g., using MatLab and Python) are appreciated. Moreover, previous experience in single-molecule biophysics will be considered advantageous.

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: Sebastian Deindl, +46 (0) 70 840 0496, sebastian.deindl@icm.uu.se

Please submit your application by 17 May 2024, UFV-PA 2024/1166.

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