Postdoctoral Fellowship: Chemical and Cell Biology

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest institutions of higher education with over 35,000 students and 4,200 faculty and staff. We are characterised by world-leading research in several scientific fields and a multitude of educations ranked highly in international comparison. Recent breakthroughs at Umeå University include deciphering the molecular mechanisms of the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 system and its repurposing into a tool for genome editing, a method developed at Umeå University that was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The host lab is located within the cross-disciplinary Chemical Biological Centre (https://www.umu.se/en/kbc ) at Umeå University and is affiliated with the national Centre of Excellence – Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR) (https://www.umu.se/en/ucmr/ ). The labs are fully equipped for biological and chemical research with access to excellent facilities and state-of-art equipment and platforms in a creative, inspiring, international and highly interactive environment. Facilities include Protein Expertise Platform, X-ray, proteomics, NMR (850-400 MHz), cryo-EM and Biochemical Imaging Centre (confocal, SIM, FLIM, spinning disk, TIRF, STORM).

Project description

The migrasome is a newly discovered organelle produced by migrating cells (Cell Res 2015 ). It plays a crucial role in various physiological processes involving organ morphogenesis (Nat Cell Biol 2019), embryonic angiogenesis (Nat Cell Biol 2022 ), cellular homeostasis (Cell 2021 ), and horizontal transfer of RNAs and proteins (Cell Res 2021 ). Notably, migrasomes are enriched with a variety of signaling molecules, including chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors, as well as mRNA. This enrichment underscores their significance in tumor development and immune evasion. It is reasonable to anticipate their involvement in diseases associated with migrating cells, such as tumor metastasis, immune disorders, and developmental disorders.

However, migrasome biogenesis is intricately regulated by molecular mechanisms that remain incompletely understood. Traditional genetic perturbations are chronic and thereby fall short when it comes to studying these dynamic processes. Small molecules have emerged as valuable tools for deciphering the complexities of biological systems, as shown in recent examples in the lab (Nat Chem Biol 2019 , Angew Chem 2022 , EMBO Rep 2023 , PNAS 2024 ). This project will combine biochemical, cell biological and chemical genetic approaches to elucidate migrasome biology. By doing so, we aim to open up new avenues of research that will enhance our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying migrasome biogenesis and their diverse functions, and eventually development of new therapeutics.

The techniques used in the project include cell imaging, western blotting, and knock-out/down, protein expression and purification, biochemical characterization, in vitro reconstitution.

The project is in close collaboration with Li Yu lab at Tsinghua University, who made the initial discovery regarding migrasomes. The 2-year fellowship (672 000 SEK) is tax-exempt with start as soon as possible.

Qualifications

To qualify as a postdoctoral fellowship holder, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree in cell biology, chemical biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or in another relevant field. This qualification requirement must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about fellowship recipient, but we welcome applications from candidates who are in the process of obtaining their doctoral degree.

Preference should be given to applicants who received their degree no more than three years before the end of the application period. Applicants who received their doctoral degree earlier may be considered in special circumstances. Special circumstances include absence due to illness, parental leave, clinical practice, elected positions in trade unions, or similar circumstances.

The successful candidate is expected to independently further their own studies but also be in close collaboration with other members of the team. Independence and good ability to collaborate are therefore requirements. Good command of written and spoken English is also a requirement.

Experiences in cell imaging, western blotting, knock-out/down, molecular cloning, protein expression and purification, and/or in vitro reconstitution are strong merits, as is a good record of research publication.

Application
The application should include:

Submit your application as a single PDF marked with “Postdoc application” in the subject field of the email, to [email protected] . Application deadline is 14 June 2024.

For more information, please contact Prof. Yaowen Wu, Department of Chemistry, https://www.umu.se/en/research/groups/yaowen-wu/
and Prof. Li Yu, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, https://life.tsinghua.edu.cn/lifeen/info/1031/1057.htm

More about us

At Umeå University, everything is nearby. Our cohesive campus environment makes it easy to meet, collaborate and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture where we rejoice in each other’s successes. If you are interested in knowing about Umeå University as a workplace, read more at: https://www.umu.se/en/work-with-us/ .

Umeå University also offers a strong postdoc community with the Umeå Postdoc Society (UPS), which fosters networking amongst postdocs, organises social and career development events and works towards improving the postdoc experience at Umeå campus. Check out their website: https://umeapostdocs.com/ and do not hesitate to get in contact with them early on!

We welcome your application!