Postdoctoral position in mechanistic studies of DNA replication

The Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Umeå University, Sweden, invites applicants for a two-year Postdoctoral position in mechanistic studies of DNA replication. The position is expected to start as soon as possible or according to agreement. Application deadline is May 23rd 2023.

Description of the project

Re-replication is a major threat to genome stability. Recently we found that single-strand breaks in the form of nicks may cause localized re-replication by an, until recently, over-looked mechanism1. Considering that nicks are estimated to be the most common DNA lesions in eukaryotic cells, DNA replication forks are bound to encounter nicks. Here we will explore the mechanisms by which eukaryotic cells may suppress re-replication when replication forks encounter un-repaired nicks. If not functional, this could be one underlying cause for copy number variations and gross chromosomal rearrangements often found in cancer cells.

Both yeast genetics and biochemical studies will be applied to uncover pathways that may suppress re-replication in the event when a replication fork encounters an unrepaired nick (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.14.381277v1 ). 

For more information about the lab and its previous work on DNA polymerase epsilon visit the web-page: https://www.biostruct.umu.se/ .

Work responsibilities

Depending on the applicant´s background and interests, the focus will be on either yeast genetics or biochemical studies. The tasks will include the construction of plasmids and yeast strains, followed by genetic assays where we score the frequency by which gene duplications occur. The biochemical approach includes over-expression and purification of proteins that are or may be involved in the pathway that we study. This will include experiments with the reconstituted eukaryotic replication fork.

Eligibility

A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate within biochemistry, cell- and molecular biology, genetics, or related discipline, is eligible for appointment as postdoctoral researcher. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time at which the appointment decision is made.

 We seek highly motivated candidates with experience in purifying and working with recombinant proteins or in yeast genetics. Experience within the field of DNA replication or DNA repair is advantageous. You should have a strong relevant research output, as evidenced by first authorship, on publications presenting ground-breaking new research findings or new molecular biology tools.

Candidates must be fluent in spoken and written English. Since the project will be of collaborative nature, candidates are expected to function in a team and therefore have a good ability to cooperate. Excellent communication skills are required for interacting effectively with colleagues and peers, including colleagues from complementary research fields. Good initiative ability is a requirement.

Additional useful qualifications

Since appointment as a postdoctoral researcher is a career-development position for junior researchers, we are primarily interested in applicants who completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, an applicant who has completed their degree earlier than that may be considered. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, clinical practice, appointments of trust for a trade union organisation or other similar circumstances, and for relevant duties/assignments within the subject area.

More information about the position

The appointment is a full-time, fixed-term position for two years in accordance with the terms of contract for fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral researcher.

Application
The application must include:

The application must be written in Swedish or English. The application must be made via our e-recruitment system Varbi (https://umu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:624293/type:job/where:4/apply:1 ) and must be received latest May 23rd 2023.

If there are questions, please contact Prof Erik Johansson, [email protected] .

More about the employer

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions, with over 37 000 students and about 4 700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. And the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is what it is all about. But also about delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. This is simply where the future is built.

Are you interested in learning more? Read about Umeå University as a workplace .

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 Umea campus. Check out their website: https://umeapostdocsociety.se/ and do not hesitate to get in contact with them early on!

We welcome your application!