Research Technician Computer Aided Drug Design (1.0 FTE)

Medicinal Chemistry, Photopharmacology and Imaging (MCPI) is one of eight research groups (basic units) in the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP), situated within the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) of the University of Groningen. This group focuses on the design of molecules that selectively and strongly bind to their targets for therapeutic and imaging purposes. A particular area of molecular design within MCPI is photopharmacology, in which drugs are designed with the intention to control their activity with light. The foundations of this relatively new discipline are organic synthesis and bioactivity assay research, but computational support on both on the fundamental (photochemistry) and pharmacological (drug design) level can elevate this discipline to the next level.

To this end, we are looking for a research technician with a PhD degree to strengthen our team in the field of Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD). Your expertise in one or more computational approaches, for instance structure- and ligand-based drug design, de novo and fragment-based drug design, molecular dynamics, or Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM), will be instrumental in supporting the group’s CADD research and will create a perfect environment where computational formulation of hypotheses and their experimental validation are incorporated in the same research group.

Tasks
You support research and teaching efforts involving computer-aided drug design for the generation of hypothesis (privileged bioactive compound architecture) for further synthesis and evaluation within the MCPI department and beyond. Your work involves the following activities:

- you carry out research experimentation for ongoing projects within the basic unit, broadly related to the computational design of bioactive molecules
- you contribute actively to the development of new CADD methods and adjustments of the current ones for the requirements of collaborative projects
- you support interdisciplinary research efforts involving the combination of CADD with organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, photopharmacology and medical imaging approaches by undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting scientists in the MCPI labs
- you establish the latest CADD technologies and approaches in MCPI department as needed
- you ensure continuity of research protocols
- you are responsible for maintenance of standard IT infrastructure in MCPI unit
- you supervise/train researchers in the basic unit in the use of CADD, from basic skills for researchers who never used it, to advanced skills for dedicated researchers
- you support others in laboratory management (ordering, documentation).