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A post-doctoral position is available in the research group of Inari Kursula at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oulu, Finland. The group is mainly working on structural and functional characterization of actin and actin-binding proteins from the malaria parasite. Funding for the position comes from the Sigrid Jusélius foundation and the Academy of Finland and funding for this position is initially guaranteed for two years.

We are looking for a highly motivated person with extensive experience in protein expression and purification, biochemical and biophysical characterization, as well as crystallization and structure determination of proteins by X-ray crystallography. Because the group is divided between the University of Oulu, Finland and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research on the DESY campus in Hamburg, Germany, the group leader being most of the time in Hamburg, the suitable candidate should be capable of independent planning and conduction of experiments as well as supervising students. The current group in Oulu is formed by one post doc (Marie Curie IIF fellow), one PhD student, and occasional trainees.

The successful candidate is expected to be involved in the optimization of expression and purification of several Plasmodium actin-binding proteins, mostly to be produced by co-expression in baculovirus-infected insect cells, and further characterization of the proteins and complexes. The aim is to draw a detailed picture of the actin-based machinery involved in the motility and host-cell invasion of apicomplexan parasites, using a combination of structural biology (in particular X-ray crystallography and SAXS) and modern biophysical methods, such as SPR, ITC, light-scattering, and fluorescence spectroscopy, together with classical actin biochemistry.

The University of Oulu is one of the largest universities in Finland, and the Department of Biochemistry hosts about ten research groups and has excellent facilities for protein chemistry and structural biology. In addition, the group has access to all the facilities at the CSSB-HZI at DESY, Hamburg, including ample synchrotron beam time both in Hamburg and elsewhere on Europe synchrotron radiation sources.

Applicants should send their CV and the names and contact information of 2-3 referees by e-mail to Inari Kursula ([log in to unmask]). More information can be found from http://www.biochem.oulu.fi/tutkimus/ikursula and http://www.desy.de/~inari, and informal inquiries by e-mail are most welcome. The position is to be filled as soon as possible and applications will be considered until 30.11.2010 or until a suitable candidate has been identified.

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Inari Kursula, Asst.Prof.
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
and University of Hamburg
CSSB-HZI at DESY
Notkestrasse 85, Bldg. 25b
22607 Hamburg
Germany

and

Department of Biochemistry
University of Oulu
Linnanmaa H4
90570 Oulu
Finland

http://www.desy.de/~inari/
http://www.biochem.oulu.fi/tutkimus/ikursula/
http://cc.oulu.fi/~inkursul/
[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
+49-(0)40-89986151, +358-(0)8-5531184
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