signal transduction | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans

PhD Researcher in Faculty of Science at Utrecht University, Netherlands: Solid-state NMR: Ultra-high Sensitivity NMR on Protein Machines in a Cellular(-like) State (1,0 fte)

You will be part of a team working on the development and application of high-sensitivity NMR methods for the study of protein complexes in a cellular-like environment. You will employ dedicated and internationally unique NMR instruments that will enhance spectroscopic sensitivity by two orders of magnitude. Your studies will target protein machines that regulate elementary aspects of signal transduction and protein folding in a cellular setting. Using NMR, you will map conformational states of a membrane protein en route to its native folded state or during function in response to changes in the physiochemical environment. These experiments will allow you to obtain a comprehensive map of the conformational landscape of such a biomolecular machine in a native-like environment. Such information is of vital relevance to understand cellular viability and function and offers unprecedented structural insight at the interface of structural and cellular biology.

The successful candidate should have a Master’s or equivalent degree in chemistry, physics, or biology with a general interest in biophysics and spectroscopy. Experience in NMR or a related spectroscopic method is desirable.

Scholarship Application Deadline: April 15, 2011

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