Single Molecule Dynamics and Biophysics of RNA and RNA-protein Interactions
Nesbitt Group
JILA/University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
A postdoctoral position is open in the Nesbitt group at JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado for biophysical studies of conformational kinetics, dynamics and thermodynamics of nucleic acid and nucleic acid-protein interactions at the single molecule level. The work relies extensively on fundamental tools of chemical physics (e.g., lasers, optical microscopy, time correlated single photon counting, fast electronics, statistical mechanics, etc.) to explore important topics in nucleic acid biochemistry (e.g., riboswitches, microRNAs, signaling, gene regulation, viral replication). In particular, this project exploits state-of-the-art laser induced fluorescence and confocal microscopy methods, combined with microfluidic/laser control of the local nanoenvironment (temperature, mono/divalent ion concentrations, viscosity, molecular "crowding") to probe conformational dynamics in RNA/DNA/protein biopolymers. This suite of research projects is ideal for a highly motivated young scientist with a strong experimental background in chemical physics and biological sciences interested in tackling key problems in biochemistry with the rigor and perspective of a physical chemist.
Recent papers of interest include:
J. L. Fiore, E. D. Holmstrom and D. J. Nesbitt, “An entropic origin of Mg+2–facilitated RNA folding,” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 109, 2902-2907 (2012); E. D. Holmstrom, J. L. Fiore and D. J. Nesbitt, “Thermodynamic Origins of Monovalent-Facilitated RNA Folding,” Biochemistry 51, 3732-3743 (2012); 246) L. R. Fiegland, A. D. Garst, R. T. Batey, and D. J. Nesbitt, “Single-Molecule Studies of the Lysine Riboswitch Reveal Effector Dependent Conformational Dynamics of the Aptamer Domain,” Biochem. 51, 9223-9233, doi: 10.1021/bi3007753 (2012); 253) N. F. Dupuis, E. D. Holmstrom, D. J. Nesbitt, “Single Molecule Kinetics Reveal Cation Promoted DNA Duplex Formation Through Ordering of Single Stranded Helices,” Biophys. J. 105, 756-766, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.05.061 (2013); E. D. Holmstrom, N. F. Dupuis, and D. J. Nesbitt, “Single-Molecule Pulsed Infrared Heating Studies of DNA Duplex Dissociation,” Biophys. J. 106, 220-231 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.008 (2014).
Qualified applicants who have recently received their PhD are encouraged to fill out the postdoctoral application on the JILA website (http://jila.colorado.edu/students-postdocs/postdocs) and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to Visiting Scientists Program Assistant (Kim Monteleone). Applicants should also notify Prof. Nesbitt at [log in to unmask] after the complete JILA application has been submitted.
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