Postdoc in genomics

Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology

Do you want to contribute to top quality science and innovation within the life sciences? Do you also have a PhD and experience in medicinal chemistry / chemical biology and are service-oriented and communicative? Now, CBCS node at Umeå University offer a chance to be part of, and develop, a national infrastructure in the field. Welcome to apply before 2022-10-28.

Description
Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (www.cbcs.se ) helps Swedish researchers with projects in chemical biology in all areas of life sciences such as the identification and development of biologically active small molecules. The infrastructure has been active since 2010 with two nodes, one at Umeå University and one at Karolinska Institutet, and is financed by SciLifeLab (www.scilifelab.se ) and the host universities. Starting in 2022, CBCS is also one of the Swedish Research Council’s infrastructures of national interest (see more at www.cbcs.se). The infrastructure projects focus primarily on the development of biological test systems (assays), screening of thousands of small molecules through these assays and follow-up and further development of the most promising biologically active small molecules. Since its inception in 2010, the infrastructure has been involved in hundreds of publications, many patents, and new companies in the field. An important part of succeeding as an infrastructure on many nodes is to create an open and inclusive atmosphere. With the strongly expanded funding from 2022, we want to maintain this atmosphere while expanding and developing the infrastructure further in order to offer Swedish researchers the best possible service and act as a catalyst for new scientific breakthroughs and innovations within the life sciences. As part of this work, CBCS node at Umeå University is now looking for a chemist with a PhD and experience in medicinal chemistry/chemical biology that want to participate and further develop the infrastructure.

CBCS’ operations at Umeå University are located at the Department of Chemistry, which is one of the largest departments within the Faculty of Science and Technology with approximately 200 employees and a strong and expanding research. The department is located within the Chemical Biological Centre (https://www.umu.se/en/chemical-biological-centre/) at Umeå University and provides excellent facilities and state-of-art equipment and platforms in a creative, inspiring, international and highly interactive environment. For more information, see: http://www.umu.se/en/department-of-chemistry/.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier who was active at Umeå University when the CRISPR-Cas9 method was developed.

Work tasks
The duties mainly consist of follow-up of small molecules identified through the screening of libraries of thousands of small molecules. This includes the identification of pre-existing substances by searching different types of databases, but mainly the design and synthesis of new small molecules with different substitution patterns. New small molecules will be characterized and the work should be summarized and communicated to the research group with whom the infrastructure cooperates. In addition to this, lab journals should be kept and joint efforts to keep the lab operations running are also part of the tasks with specific responsibilities e.g. for HPLC and MS instruments. Contact and exchange with researchers and with CBCS staff at other universities is an important part of the tasks. In addition, you are expected to take an active part in the development of the infrastructure through the implementation of new technologies and instrumentation.

Qualifications
Doctoral degree in chemistry, preferably organic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, or equivalent field is required. Documented experience with different synthesis strategies of heterocycles as well as the purification and characterization of these is a requirement. Furthermore, experience of structure searches in databases, design of analogues for structure-activity studies, and good ability to communicate with researchers in English through both speech and writing is required. A good ability to write scientific texts is also a requirement. You must have a staff-scientist mindset, be service-oriented and dedicated to high-quality and reproducible data production, have very good collaborative skills, be flexible and able to work independently in a structured and efficient way.

Knowledge in different types of biophysical and biological test systems for evaluating small molecules is desirable. Knowledge in computational chemistry is a merit. 

Application
The application must include a personal letter explaining why you apply for the position, a CV, doctoral certificate, relevant certificates and grades. Names and contact information to at least two reference persons will be requested later in the recruitment process.

The application must be received via our e-recruitment system Varbi no later than 28 October, 2022. 

Terms of employment
The employment is full-time and a permanent postion. Probationary period may be applied. Access as soon as possible or as agreed.