Doctoral student in Protein Engineering/Biochemistry

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Research in the field of Biochemistry at Linnaeus University is carried out at the Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. We are interested in a wide range of research disciplines including molecular interactions, enzymology, immunology, virology, chemistry and biomaterials. The department has during the last years recruited several assistant and associate professors with a goal of branching into novel research areas.

Bjelic lab, established in 2015, focuses on designing proteins for biotechnological and medical applications using a combination of theory and experiments. The lab is now seeking an exceptionally motivated student to work on highly interdisciplinary projects.

Subject area for the project: Protein Engineering/Biochemistry

Admission subject: The studies carried out in the project are designed to lead to a PhD in Chemistry

Placement city: Kalmar, Sweden

Job description

The overall focus of the current project is to computationally design protein carriers that will enter cells or traverse the nervous system after binding to the receptors situated on their surfaces. We are using Rosetta, a state-of-the-art computational protein modeling software, to construct proteins that will interact with specific targets. The designed proteins are then characterized experimentally by yeast surface display and standard biochemical and molecular biology techniques. The long-term goal is to couple various therapeutics to the designed carriers for improved treatment of the various diseases. The work will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals culminating in a thesis defense for a Ph.D. degree. More information about the lab’s publications can be found on the following website:

 https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=90d5JbgAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

Requirements

You have a Master of Science degree (corresponding to five years) in any of the fields of Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or Bioinformatics. The research project is highly interdisciplinary combining molecular simulation with experiments. Experiences in molecular dynamics, computer scripting languages, protein expression/purification, molecular biology methods, and basics in molecular interactions are sought after. Fluency in the English language is essential, and knowledge of the Swedish is beneficial. General prerequisites for the position are laid out in the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (Chapters 5 & 7).

Terms of employment

The position is funded for four years with the objective to obtain a Ph.D. degree. There is a possibility of participating in department’s teaching, about 10%, thus extending the PhD time correspondingly.

Application

• CV, including e-mail and phone number for two references,
• Awarded degrees,
• Letter in English explaining your motivation for working in the project,
• Master’s thesis,
• Published papers – if available.

Contacts:

Research leader Associate Prof. Sinisa Bjelic, [email protected]    

Head of department, Anna Asplund, [email protected]

HR partner, Leif Eriksson, [email protected]

Your application must be registered no later than 2022-01-03.

Linnaeus University has the ambition to utilize the qualities that an even gender distribution and diversity brings to the organization.

Please apply by clicking on the Apply button at the bottom of the ad. Applicants are requested to the application resolving CV, cover letter , a copy of a relevant essay , grades and certificates and other relevant documents. The applicant also requested to submit with their application a proposed research plan within the current area of research. All documents must be attached to digital in the application. The application and other documents shall be marked with the reference number. All documents cited must be received by the University no later than 24.00 (Local time in Sweden) on the closing day.

Contact person

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