The Tripsianes group are hiring a PhD candidate in (Un) Structural Biology of Wnt Signalling, at CEITEC MU in Brno, Czechia.
Dishevelled (DVL) is the central hub of Wnt signal transduction that integrates and transduces upstream signals through distinct cytoplasmic cascades. The Tripsianes group invetigates the working hypothesis that DVL conformational plasticity is mediated by the order-disorder interactions allows the combinatorial integration of phosphorylation input, partners binding, self-assembly in droplets, and allosteric coupling, to exquisitely control signal routing. They integrate structural biology (NMR, X-ray, cryoEM) and biophysical techniques (FRET, ITC, BLI) with cellular readouts (TopFlash, BRET) and proteomics to understand DVL structure, function, and regulation.
Candidates can choose among three open questions, that if resolved, will have significant impact on Wnt research:
1) Does disorder provide new contexts to structured domain(s) and, hence, enhance the DVL functional space associated with them?
2) Is there a direction, order or hierarchy in the phosphorylation of individual S/T sites and clusters in DVL?
3) What are the physical behaviors associated with intrinsic disorder and their connection to DVL liquid-liquid phase separation?
Selection Criteria:
MSc degree (preferably in Life Sciences)
Strong interest in structural biology and biomolecular NMR applications.
Experience in structural biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology methods
English proficiency – oral and written
Good communication and interpersonal skills, team player
Motivation and curiosity-driven mindset
