Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Structural Biology

10 Jan 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Universidade de São Paulo - Chemistry Institute

Department

Biochemistry

Research Field

Chemistry » Biochemistry

Researcher Profile

Established Researcher (R3)

Country

Brazil

Application Deadline

15 Feb 2024 - 12:59 (America/Sao_Paulo)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Project title: “Structural studies of the inner membrane subunits from the Xanthomonas citri Type IV Secretion System using NMR spectroscopy and cryoelectron microscopy”

Principal investigator: Dr. Roberto Kopke Salinas

Sponsor: São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) - Monthly income: R$ 9047,40

Institution: University of São Paulo (USP), Institute of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry

Deadline for submissions: February 15th , 2024

Contact:[email protected]

Summary: A postdoctoral position is available to work in the Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy within the Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centre B3 (Biology of Bacteria and Bacteriophages), supported by FAPESP. Bacterial Type IV Secretion Systems (T4SSs) are nanomachines that transport effector proteins or protein-DNA complexes from the cytoplasm to the extracellular milieu or to a host cell. The Xanthomonas citri T4SS (T4SSXAC) belongs to the class of minimized systems, which consist of eleven VirB subunits (VirB1 to VirB11) and the coupling protein VirD4. All T4SSs exhibit an outer membrane associated core complex (OMCC), which is connected by a stalk or a channel to the inner membrane complex (IMC). In minimized systems, the IMC is composed by the VirB10 transmembrane helix, and the membrane proteins VirB3, VirB4, VirB6, and VirB8. While atomic-level three-dimensional structures of the OMCC from expanded and minimized T4SSs were obtained using electron cryomicroscopy (Cryo-EM), the IMC has been resistant to isolation and structural characterization. The aim of this project is to develop protocols to express and purify subunits of a bacterial Type IV Secretion System (T4SS) (VirB2, VirB3, VirB4, VirB6, VirB8), followed by their structural or biophysical characterization in isolation and in complex, using biochemistry, NMR spectroscopy and electron microscopy (Cryo-EM or negative staining) techniques. The successful candidate will be a motivated individual holding a PhD in structural biology and with extensive experience in molecular cloning and protein expression and purification of membrane proteins. Prior experience in NMR or electron microscopy is not necessary but it will be a plus.

Requirements

Research Field

Chemistry » Biochemistry

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

The candidate must be a motivated individual holding a PhD in structural biology and with extensive experience in molecular cloning and protein expression and purification of membrane proteins. Prior experience in NMR or electron microscopy is not necessary but it will be a plus.

Specific Requirements

PhD in Chemistry or Biochemistry with solid experience in structural biology, molecular cloning and protein expression and purification of membrane proteins.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Research Field

Chemistry » Biochemistry

Years of Research Experience

4 - 10

Additional Information
Benefits

The selected candidate will receive a FAPESP post-doctoral fellowship in the amount of R$ 9,047.40 monthly and a research contingency fund, equivalent to 10% of the annual value of the fellowship which should be spent on items directly related to the research activity.

Selection process

Applications should be submitted by email until February 15th , 2024, accompanied by the following documents:

• A letter of motivation, describing the reasons for the interest in this position and previous academic experience;
• Two recommendation letters;
• A short CV indicating a link to Google Scholar, Research ID or ORCID profile.   

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of São Paulo

Country

Brazil

State/Province

São Paulo

City

São Paulo

Postal Code

05508000

Street

Av. Lineu Prestes 748

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

State/Province

SP

City

São Paulo

Website

https://sites.usp.br/cepidb3/

Street

Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748

Postal Code

05508000

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED