Work type: Full-time
Department: School of Biological Sciences (26000)
Categories: Senior Research Staff & Post-doctoral Fellow

Post-doctoral Fellow in Structural Biology of Membrane Proteins in School of Biological Sciences (Ref.: 527394) 

Applications are invited for appointment as Post-doctoral Fellow in the structure and mechanism of ion channels in the School of Biological Sciences (Ref.: 527394) to commence as soon as possible for 2 years, with the possibility of renewal.

Applicants should have a PhD in structural biology, biochemistry, biophysics, pharmacology, or a related field. He/She will have a proven track record in either 1) using cryo-EM for protein structure determination or 2) studying ion channel mechanisms by electrophysiology, or both. For the cryo-EM category, experience in (membrane) protein expression/purification and cryo-EM sample preparation/data collection and proficiency in using common structural biology software are required. For the electrophysiology category, experience in the patch-clamp technique and a strong background in membrane biophysics and pharmacology are necessary. A commitment to scientific excellence, interest in interdisciplinarity, and good collaboration skills are expected. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the project, develop future research areas, and supervise students in the group. Training in complementary techniques, either cryo-EM or electrophysiology, and support for fellowship applications will be provided.

Our group combines structural and biophysical approaches to unravel the molecular principles underlying membrane transport and excitability. We seek to obtain a mechanistic understanding of how ion channels and lipid scramblases function in health and disease and to develop novel, effective, and safe therapeutics. Work from our group has revealed electrostatic and hydrophobic gating (eLife 2018, Nat. commun. 2021a) and the associated kinetic mechanism (Nat. commun. 2021b) in the ligand-gated ion channel TMEM16A. Using cryo-EM, our work has further provided the structural basis for inhibitor binding (Nat. commun. 2022) and ligand efficacy (EMBO J 2023) in this channel. More information about our research can be found at https://www.al-lab.org/.

The project is aimed at understanding the structure and mechanism of key ion channels by combining cryo-EM and electrophysiology. Established purification and recording protocols are available for immediate structure determination and patch-clamp analysis. We have access to state-of-the-art facilities including Krios G4/CFEG/Falcon 4 and Glacios/Falcon 4 cryo-TEMs at the Faculty of Medicine and computational resources for cryo-EM data processing. Our lab has the necessary equipment for a host of molecular biology, large-scale mammalian cell culture, and protein biochemistry experiments and is equipped with an electrophysiology setup for functional investigations.

A competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits.

The University only accepts online applications for the above post. Applicants should apply online and upload 1) a cover letter including a statement of research interests, 2) a CV including details of your two most important publications, and 3) contact information of two references in a single PDF file. Review of applications will commence as soon as possible and continue until October 31, 2024, or until the post is filled, whichever is earlier.