Dear bulletin board,

One postdoctoral position funded by the Academy of Finland is available in the Antibiotic Biosynthetic Enzymes research group (ABE) at the University of Turku, Finland. The position will be filled initially for one year, with a possibility for extension for up to two additional years. 

The ABE group is interested in understanding the biological basis of how soil-dwelling Streptomyces bacteria are able to produce a wealth of natural products, many of which are important in medical applications. The founding idea is that novel compounds with improved pharmaceutical activities can be engineered by obtaining detailed knowledge about the biosynthetic pathways. 

The project involves structure determination of target enzymes from related biosynthetic pathways, where the substrate specificities of the homologous proteins are different. A more distant goal of the project is to change the substrate specificities of the enzymes after detailed structure/function studies and possibly to even engineer novel functionality for the enzymes. The successful applicant will be introduced to a highly multidisciplinary research field, which requires a combination of techniques ranging from molecular genetic methods (cloning of gene clusters, gene knock-outs), to production and characterization of biosynthetic enzymes (protein purification, in vitro activity measurements, X-ray crystallography) and to natural product chemistry (MS and NMR spectroscopy). 

The applicants should hold a Ph.D. degree in a relevant field. Experience in X-ray crystallography is necessary as protein over-expression and purification systems have already been established for several of the target proteins. Knowledge about experimental phasing (SAD/MAD) techniques is considered as a bonus, since only poor MR solution templates exist for some of the targets. Allocation for beam time at the ESRF, Grenoble, France, is guaranteed through the finnish BAG.  

Applications (including a short description of research interests and experience, CV, and names of two referees) and inquiries should be sent by e-mail to mikko.metsaketela(at)utu.fi. For more information about the research group please visit http://www.sci.utu.fi/projects/biokemia/abe. Applications will be considered until 30.9.2009 or until suitable candidates have been found. The position will be filled from January 2011.


Best regards,
Mikko Metsä-Ketelä

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Acedemy Research Fellow
Mikko Metsä-Ketelä, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry
University of Turku, FINLAND
http://www.sci.utu.fi/projects/biokemia/abe/