PhD student in Molecular Biology of Protein synthesis in Bacteria and Eukaryotes

PhD student in Molecular Biology of Protein synthesis in Bacteria and Eukaryotes
Are you interested in working with state-of-the art fast kinetics and Cryo-EM to unravel the molecular mechanisms of protein synthesis in bacterial and eukaryotic ribosomes, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable recruitment and offers safe and favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a PhD position at Uppsala University.

Uppsala University has a strong tradition of research and education. It is ranked among the best Universities in the world, with 50,000 students and close to 5,000 researchers. University’s alumni include 16 Nobel Prize laureates.  

The Department of Cell and Molecular Biology is one of the most international, broad and distinguished Molecular Lifescience departments in Europe. The department comprises seven research programs spanning Molecular Biology, Molecular Biophysics, Molecular Evolution, Molecular Systems Biology, Structural Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics with about 200 staff and ~60 PhD students.

Project description
The overall objective of the Sanyal lab is to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying protein synthesis and protein folding to find solutions to the global antibiotic resistance problem in pathogenic bacteria, to reconstitute cellular transcription translation machinery in the test tube, to develop RNA based therapeutic tools and to study the evolution of the protein synthesis machinery. The Sanyal lab offers a stimulating multidisciplinary environment where cutting edge protein synthesis research is conducted using tools from biochemistry, biophysics, structural and molecular biology.

As part of the PhD study, the candidate will investigate the mechanisms regulating the protein synthesis machinery during dormancy and hibernation in bacteria and lower eukaryotes using rapid kinetics, FRET, and cryo-electron microscopy. The candidate will need to express, purify, and site-specifically label recombinant proteins with fluorescent probes. A major task will be to reconstruct a eukaryotic translation system in vitro using purified ribosomes, mRNA, tRNA, and translation factors. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms, the candidate will conduct kinetic experiments using stopped-flow and quench-flow techniques, and complement the results with cryo-EM in close collaboration with other members of the Sanyal lab.

Duties 
The candidate will primarily focus on their own doctoral research as elaborated above. Other departmental duties, such as teaching and administrative work, may be included as part of the position (up to 20%).

Requirements

To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must

• hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in Molecular Biology, Molecular Biochemistry, Molecular Biophysics or similar
• 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.

The candidate should have experience in molecular cloning, gene expression and protein purification techniques. The candidate needs to be familiar with quantitative biology, especially biochemical aspects of enzyme kinetics (e.g. Michealis-Menten eq) and data fitting programs (e.g. Origin) with strong statistical analysis. Moreover, good knowledge and experience in structural biology is required.

Excellent knowledge of English is a prerequisite, as the position is located in an international environment and the student is expected to communicate orally and write manuscripts and reports independently. We value personal characteristics such as openness, good co-operative ability, friendly personality, responsibility and a keen interest in basic research and in addressing fundamental biological questions with quantitative approaches.

Additional qualifications
Prior experience in working with ribosome or protein synthesis is a strong merit. Likewise, experience in cryo-EM grid preparation and structure solution are merits. Experience in presenting research results in conferences and experience in writing manuscripts are also considered as plus.

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 2025-01-25 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala.

Requirements

The application should include:

1. Diplomas and transcripts with grades (translated into English or Swedish);
2. A CV with a list of publications;
3. A personal letter (maximum 2 pages) where the candidate briefly explains why they are applying for this position, including a self-assessment of why they would be the right candidate for this position;
4. References with contact information (name, email, and phone number);
5. Other relevant documents (optional).

For further information about the position, please contact: Professor Suparna Sanyal, 0046-18-4714220, Suparna.sanyal@icm.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 7th of October 2024, UFV-PA 2024/3133.

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