PhD student in RNA biochemistry and structural biology

PhD student in RNA biochemistry and structural biology

Are you interested in working with RNA biochemistry and structural biology, 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 divided into seven research programs that focus on different areas within cell and molecular biology: computational biology and bioinformatics, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular biophysics, molecular evolution, molecular systems biology and structural biology. The scientific basis of what we do is in biology, but our research overlaps with other fields such as medicine, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, engineering and physics. The department has over 200 employees with around 60 PhD students. Please read more about the organization's work at our website.

The PhD student recruited through this call will work in Marco Marcia’s research group. Marco Marcia leads a research group in structural and cell biology and RNA biochemistry. The group works with RNA cryoEM and X-ray crystallography, coupled to RNA chemical probing, mutagenesis, cellular functional assays, and RNA-protein interaction techniques. These are used to understand structure-function relationships in large catalytic and regulatory non-coding RNAs involved in bacterial and fungal infections, cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. The student will work in an international and dynamic environment with great opportunities to learn new techniques. We will have a well-equipped lab, in house access to a Glacios cryoEM microscope, and access to national SciLifeLab facilities in structural biology, proteomics, genomics, chemical biology, genetic engineering, and imaging in Uppsala, Stockholm, and Gothenburg.

Duties
We will apply cryo-EM and integrative structural biology (X-ray, SAXS) and biochemical and cellular approaches (enzymatic and cellular assays) to characterize functionally active regions of bacterial ribozymes and human long non-coding RNAs. We will use cutting edge cryo-EM sample preparation, data acquisition and data processing approaches to capture these RNAs at high resolution, visualizing how their structures ensure their functions and modulate their conformational dynamics. Useful references: Marcia and Pyle, Cell, 2012; Manigrasso et al, Nat Comm, 2020; Silvestri et al, Nat Comm, 2024; Uroda et al, Mol Cell 2019; Uroda et al, Nat Prot, 2020.

The candidate will also participate pro-actively in all lab operations, including maintaining an efficient working space and environment, placing orders, and sharing research updates in the internal group and at department seminars, as well as national and international conference, as appropriate.

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

• - hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in biology, chemistry or related subjects, 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.

The University may permit an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant, if there are special grounds (Chapter 7, § 39 of the Higher Education Ordinance).

Additional qualifications

• Experience working at the wet lab bench
• Knowledge of scripting language
• Good knowledge of English
• Good cooperation skills

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

Application
Your application must be written in English and must include:

• A personal letter where you describe yourself, your research interest, your experiences and why you are interested in the position (max. 2 pages)
• A CV containing your education and other qualifications that are relevant to the position
• A copy of your diploma(s)
• A copy of your Master degree thesis
• Contact information of at least two reference persons

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 soon as possible or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Dr. Marco Marcia, marco.marcia@icm.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 14th March 2025, UFV-PA UFV-PA 2025/315.

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