Post doctoral fellow in Biology - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Project objectives

Molecular engineering of sex pheromone desaturases for tailor-made biopesticide production

The objective is to create a systemic screening, based on DNA sequence and molecular structure to compare and combine different specificities of various desaturases. The engineered versions of these transmembrane proteins will create an unlimited toolbox for biopesticide production and species-specific targeting.

Required qualifications

We are looking for someone who has completed a PhD in Biology and has 2 years of relevant postdoctoral experience.

The applicant must be able to perform gene analyzes based on DNA sequence, molecular modelling (Pymol, Autodock, COOT) and phylogenetic analyses. Using molecular Biology (Gateway cloning, PCR, GeneGenie/SpeedyGenes) methods for building variant libraries and GC-MS for their functional characterization is highly recommended. Being able to use flow cytometry is a plus.

To further understand the structure of the target enzymes the applicant needs to have a broad skillset to express the engineered membrane proteins in various expression systems (E.coli, yeast, insect cells) and set up different types of crystal trials for X-ray crystallography.

In addition, personal skills are critical. Spoken and written English must be excellent, as well as social competence in general and ability to work productively as a member of a research team in particular. Administrative skills will also be taken into account.