The School of Biology are seeking a Research Fellow to investigate a novel adhesion mechanism shared by some of the most important human pathogens including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes. This work is funded by the MRC, led by Dr Uli Schwarz-Linek and will be carried out in collaboration with groups from the John Innes Centre Norwich and the Helmholtz Institute for Infection Research Braunschweig (Germany). You will use a combination of structural biology (solution state NMR spectroscopy), biophysical studies (e.g. ITC) and cell biology to elucidate structures and functions of a new class of protein domains. You will clone, express and characterise bacterial surface proteins, identify their binding partners and study their interactions with mammalian proteins, model cells and small molecule inhibitors. Structures of functional protein domains will be elucidated in solution. This work presents a unique opportunity to investigate the molecular basis of what might be a novel molecular principle of host-pathogen interactions.
You will have a PhD in structural biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology or a related field. You should be proficient in standard molecular biology, cloning and recombinant protein production. Experience with biophysical techniques, preferably Biomolecular NMR, is desirable.
Start date: 1 November 2012 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Informal enquiries to: Dr Uli Schwarz-Linek (us6@st-andrews.ac.uk, +44 (0)1334 467188).
Interviews will be held in the week commencing 1 October 2012
