Postdoctoral Researcher in Integrative Structural Biology of Fertilization

Recognition and fusion of the female and male gametes, egg and sperm, marks the beginning of the life of a new individual. Join the research group of Professor Luca Jovine (http://jovinelab.org) and combine molecular and cell biology, biochemistry and structural biology to shed light on a biological event that is not only fundamental from a basic science point of view but has also major implications for the future of human reproductive medicine!

We are looking for two Postdoctoral fellows to join Professor Luca Jovine´s research group at the department of Biosciences and Nutrition in Campus Flemingsberg. The department resides in Neo, a biomedical research building, aimed at being a creative and open environment that enables meetings, synergies, and exploration of areas of mutual interest across disciplines. For more information, see department of Biosciences and Nutrition

For recent examples about the group’s science, please see: Nishio et al. bioRxiv 10.1101/2023.06.21.544075 (2023); Moi et al. Nat. Commun. 13:3880 (2022); Stsiapanava et al. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 29:190-3 (2022); Stsiapanava et al. EMBO J. 39:e106807 (2020); Nishimura et al. Nat. Commun. 10:3086 (2019); Raj et al. Cell 169:1315–26 (2017).

Your profile

The candidate that we are looking for could have either of the following two profiles or, ideally, an expertise that matches both:

(1) You are a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow who would like to identify and characterize key protein-protein interactions mediating gamete recognition and fusion across the evolutionary tree. Candidates should have significant hands-on experience in mammalian and/or insect cell expression, purification, and biochemical characterization of proteins. Experience in analyzing protein-protein interactions using different techniques and approaches is also required, while practical knowledge in developing and expressing monoclonal antibodies will be considered an advantage. Experience in X-ray crystallography and/or cryo-EM, as well as a working knowledge of deep learning-based protein structure prediction, are highly desirable but not obligatory.

(2) You are a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow who would like to spearhead new discoveries into the molecular mechanism of egg-sperm interaction at fertilization by combining cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography with artificial intelligence-based protein structure predictions. Against this background, the candidate should have significant experience in using experimental and/or computational structural biology to study protein-protein interactions, particularly in the context of biological systems that involve membrane proteins. Previous experience in biochemically identifying and characterizing protein complexes, as well as in mammalian and/or insect cell expression, is also highly desirable. 

At least one first author paper in a high-quality international peer-reviewed journal, fluency in English (both written and oral), good team spirit and a very strong personal drive to excel in science are required.

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. It is considered as an advantage if you have completed your doctoral degree within the last three years, if there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

What do we offer?

This position is a temporary contract as a Postdoc for two years. There is a possibility for extension depending on funding availability.

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

With its close integration of academic and clinical research, the KI Department of Biosciences and Nutrition offers a highly international and collaborative environment for biomedical studies. In particular, the Jovine laboratory has state-of-the-art equipment for recombinant protein expression in mammalian cells, insect cells and bacteria, protein purification, and sample characterization (SEC-MALS, microscale thermophoresis, biolayer interferometry). Additionally, it has access to the Biophysical Protein Characterization Platform of KI’s Protein Science Facility (https://ki.se/en/research/protein-science-facility) and multiple mass spectrometry facilities for protein identification, posttranslational modification analysis and quantitative proteomics
(https://ki.se/en/research/proteomics-biomedicum-core-facility ) and (https://ki.se/en/mbb/chemical-proteomics-core-facility). For EM data collection, it has access to the Cryo-EM Swedish National Facility nodes at Stockholm SciLifeLab and Umeå Core Facility for Electron Microscopy (UCEM) (https://www.scilifelab.se/facilities/cryo-em) , as well as access to the 3DEM facility of KI (https://ki.se/cmb/3d-em) ; additionally, the lab can access different synchrotron/EM data collection sites (ESRF, MAX IV, DLS) and, to supplement local GPU-equipped workstations, has the possibility to access the Berzelius AI/ML cluster at the National Supercomputer Centre (https://www.nsc.liu.se/systems/berzelius).

Location: Campus Flemingsberg

Choose to work at KI – Ten reasons why

https://ki.se/en/bionut/structural-studies-of-fertilisation-and-zona-pellucida-module-proteins-luca-jovine

--- [Video about a Karolinska Institutet, how we work towards "a better health for all"] --

Application

An employment application must contain the following documents in English:

• A complete resumé, including date of the thesis defence, title of the thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
• A complete list of publications
• A summary of current work (no more than one page)
• A cover letter highlighting your motivation to join the laboratory (no more than one page)
• Name and contact information of three references, including the Ph.D. thesis supervisor

Welcome to apply at the latest 19 March 2024.

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.