Postdoctoral Research Associate #1 — Protein Design Group (Ross Anderson Lead)
The Role:
A postdoctoral research position in de novo protein and enzyme design is available for 36 months in the School of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol, supported by the BBSRC Grant BB/W003449/1, Creating and comprehending the circuitry of life: precise biomolecular design of multi-centre redox enzymes for a synthetic metabolism.
The postdoctoral research associate will work on designing soluble redox proteins and assemblies for electron transfer, light harvesting and catalysis, and will initially focus on the construction of discrete cofactor-binding modules to serve as a platform for more complex binary and chain-containing architectures. They will also work closely with other researchers on the project, combining expertise in membrane protein design, biomolecular simulation, chemical synthesis and spectroscopy towards the construction of artificial respiratory complexes and functional components for bionanotechnology.
What will you be doing?
You will work on the de novo design and experimental characterisation of soluble redox and light harvesting proteins and enzymes in the School of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol, collaborating closely with the multidisciplinary consortium across four institutions. You will apply a modular, computational approach to design and assemble soluble single and multi-centre redox proteins and enzymes for long range electron and energy transfer, catalysis and broadband light harvesting.
You will use computational tools to design functional modules (e.g. Rosetta, Molecular Dynamics, Continuum Electrostatics Calculations), standard molecular biology techniques to express and purify your designs, and an array of biophysical techniques to verify and study structure and function (e.g. visible/CD/fluorescence/NMR spectroscopies, protein electrochemistry, stopped flow spectrophotometry, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM microscopy, mass spec).
You should apply if:
This position would best suit a talented and motivated early career researcher with a PhD in Biochemistry or Chemistry, and, in particular, those with experience in de novo protein design or protein engineering using computational methods. Some or all of the following skills would be an advantage: experience running Molecular Dynamics simulations and/or Rosetta protein design software; demonstrated skills in molecular biology, protein expression/purification, and structural and biophysical protein analysis; knowledge of, or experience with, cofactor-containing proteins and enzymes; ability to communicate complex information clearly and accurately in English, both in written and oral forms; ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Informal Inquiries for PDRA #1 can be directed to: ross.anderson@bristol.ac.uk
Postdoctoral Research Associate #2 — Membrane Protein Design Group (Paul Curnow Lead)
The Role:
A postdoctoral research position in de novo membrane protein design is available for 36 months in the School of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol, supported by the BBSRC Grant BB/W003449/1, Creating and comprehending the circuitry of life: precise biomolecular design of multi-centre redox enzymes for a synthetic metabolism.
The postdoctoral research associate will work on designing cofactor-binding membrane proteins and assemblies for electron transfer, light harvesting and catalysis. The ambition is to establish a suite of modular designs that can interact with soluble enzymes to create more complex binary and chain-containing architectures. They will also work closely with other researchers on the project, combining expertise in membrane protein design, biomolecular simulation, chemical synthesis and spectroscopy towards the construction of artificial respiratory complexes and functional components for bionanotechnology and bioengineering.
More information on Paul Curnow’s research can be found at https://tinyurl.com/pcurnow.
What will you be doing?
The postdoctoral researcher will use computational methods, specifically the membrane extension of Rosetta and Molecular Dynamics, to design a range of single and multi-centre membrane redox proteins that can be employed in long range electron and energy transfer, catalysis and broadband light harvesting. They will then use standard molecular biology techniques to express and purify their designs in recombinant cell systems. This will likely involve the screening of different solubilising detergents to obtain stable, soluble membrane proteins in vitro. An array of biophysical techniques will then be employed to verify and study structure and function (e.g. visible/CD/fluorescence/NMR spectroscopies, protein electrochemistry, stopped flow spectrophotometry, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM microscopy, mass spectrometry).
You should apply if:
This position would best suit a talented and motivated early career researcher with a PhD in Biochemistry or Chemistry. Prior experience in computational membrane protein design (RosettaMP, Molecular Dynamics) would be an advantage as would knowledge of, or
experience in, bioenergetics. The candidate should be able to demonstrate skills in molecular biology, protein expression/purification, and structural and biophysical protein analysis. Preferred candidates are likely to be familiar with applying these methods to integral
membrane proteins, and relevant skill sets – for example, experience in detergent screening methods – would be advantageous. They should also have the ability to communicate complex information clearly and accurately in English, both in written and oral forms; and the ability to work both independently and as part of a research team.
Informal Inquiries for PDRA #1 can be directed to: p.curnow@bristol.ac.uk
More PDRA Positions at Bristol and Portsmouth will be advertised soon! More information on Ross Anderson’s group can be found at: https://theandersonlab.com