A PhD position is available in the Laboratory of Prof. Chris Ulens, KU Leuven, Belgium. The research in the Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology is aimed at understanding the molecular mechanism of ligand-gated ion channels. Their methods rely on X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM in combination with electrophysiological recordings and fluorescence-based techniques. They have access to an integrated macromolecular crystallization facility with a Mosquito crystallization robot and two RockImagers. They have access to a 200 kV Glacios microscope on campus as well as 300 kV JEOL CryoARM300 at the nearby EM facility in Brussels. Current projects are situated at the crossroads of structural elucidation and drug discovery of different pentameric ligand-gated ion channels.
They would like to recruit a PhD student with prior experience in purification, cryo-EM or X-ray crystallography of membrane proteins. The position is open immediately and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants are requested to submit a CV with publication list and two references. E-mail to chris.ulens@kuleuven.be
Selection of recent publications:
The molecular mechanism of snake short-chain α-neurotoxin binding to muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Nys M, Zarkadas E, Brams M, Mehregan A, Kambara K, Kool J, Casewell NR, Bertrand D, Baenziger JE, Nury H, Ulens C. Nat Commun. 2022 Aug 4;13(1):4543.
The structural basis for an on-off switch controlling Gβγ-mediated inhibition of TRPM3 channels. Behrendt M, Gruss F, Enzeroth R, Dembla S, Zhao S, Crassous PA, Mohr F, Nys M, Louros N, Gallardo R, Zorzini V, Wagner D, Economou A, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J, Philipp SE, Rohacs T, Ulens C, Oberwinkler J. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(46):29090-29100. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2001177117.
Modulation of the Erwinia ligand-gated ion channel (ELIC) and the 5-HT3 receptor via a common vestibule site. Brams M, Govaerts C, Kambara K, Price KL, Spurny R, Gharpure A, Pardon E, Evans GL, Bertrand D, Lummis SC, Hibbs RE, Steyaert J, Ulens C. Elife. 2020;9:e51511. doi: 10.7554/eLife.51511.
A lipid site shapes the agonist response of a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel. Hénault CM, Govaerts C, Spurny R, Brams M, Estrada-Mondragon A, Lynch J, Bertrand D, Pardon E, Evans GL, Woods K, Elberson BW, Cuello LG, Brannigan G, Nury H, Steyaert J, Baenziger JE, Ulens C. Nat Chem Biol. 2019;15(12):1156-1164. doi: 10.1038/s41589-019-0369-4.
