Postdoc biochemistry : applictions of self-assembling symmetric designer proteins

Over the last decade the field of computational protein design has gained momentum and moved from the design of basic proteins as proof of concepts to protein complexes with useful applications. Among those proof of concept proteins are the monomeric symmetric designer proteins which have been developed the last few years. Given their symmetry, they are the ideal building blocks to create via a so-called bottom-up approach novel materials such as 2D layers and 3D cages or frameworks.

Recently we have developed a novel computationally designer protein family named SAKe which is symmetric in nature yet at the core possess modular loops which, inspired by antibodies, can be evolved/altered to bind to certain binding partners.

The Laboratory of bimolecular modelling and design is part of the Department of Chemistry and is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to continue the work on these SAKe proteins. You will be engineering 2D layers and 3D cages to investigate the formation mechanism, enhance the stability, and develop applications in the field of either enzyme-cascading, biocatalysis, templating of inorganic catalysts, diagnostics and or biopharmaceuticals, targeted drug delivery.

Our laboratory is an interdisciplinary team where computational protein and drug design is combined with protein biophysics, biochemistry and protein crystallography.

This project is embedded in a larger collaboration with the group of Prof Steven De Feyter, also at the department of chemistry to perform Atomic Force Microscopy and the group of Prof. Vitor Pinheiro (REGA institute, KU Leuven). Furthermore our laboratory is part of the PharmAbs consortium which develops pharmaceuticals and diagnostic antibodies.