Post-doctoral position in Structural Biology - Université Paris-Saclay - INRAE

The Micalis Institute is part of Université Paris-Saclay. Its mission is to develop innovative research in the field of microbiology for health.

The Micalis Institute merges more than 330 people including 130 scientists, engineers and scientists-teachers as well as 140 PhD students, post-doctorant fellows and other students, organized in 20 research teams and 3 thematic axes.

A post-doctoral position in Structural biology is available at the ChemSyBio team (Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, Micalis) headed by Dr Olivier Berteau & Dr Alhosna Benjdia. The project involves structure determination of novel metalloenzymes by X-ray crystallography in order to understand enzyme mechanism and reactivity. These enzymes generally combine multiple metallic centers to catalyze unprecedented reactions. Recently, we have uncovered unanticipated active-site rearrangements that challenge our current understanding of these metalloenzymes (Fyfe et al., Nature 2022). We aim at using state-of the art structural and spectroscopic techniques to unravel the unique catalysis of these novel enzymes.

We are seeking for a highly motivated post-doctoral fellow with a proven experience in X-ray crystallography. The candidate should have a PhD in structural biology with a good knowledge of protein expression/purification, crystallization and crystallography software. Our research institute provides a vibrant and international environment for researchers interested in interdisciplinary research with access to state-of the art analytical and synchrotron radiation facilities. A knowledge of Cryo-EM would be an asset for the project.

Selected publications from our team include:

- Fyfe et al., Nature 2022, 602(7896):336-342.

- Soualmia et al., Chemistry 2022, 28(31):e202200627

- Parent et al., 2018 J Am Chem Soc. ; 140(7):2469-2477

- Benjdia et al., 2017 Nature Chemistry ; 9(7):698-707

- Parent et al., 2016 J Am Chem Soc.; 138(48):15515-15518

Access to state-of-the-art research facilities will be provided. Our laboratory (Micalis institute) is located near Paris. The position is offered for one-year, renewable up to 3 years. The salary will be commensurate with experience.

The candidate should have a PhD in structural biology and a good knowledge of crystallography software. He/She should have an experience in protein expression, purification, crystallization and the ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment. Skills in molecular biology and physico-chemical techniques would be an asset.