Postdoctoral Research Positions - Enzymology / Protein Design

Employer: University of Michigan, Department of Chemistry

Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Position Type: Full Time

Job Type: Postdoc

Two post-doctoral positions are available immediately to work on projects funded by  the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Cellular targets and mechanism of action of viperin (NIH)

Eukaryotic cells have developed sophisticated defenses aimed at limiting viral replication and thereby preventing infection from escalating to other cells.  A key enzyme in the antiviral response is viperin, which has been shown to restrict the infectivity of a number of important human viruses including influenza A, HIV and hepatitis C.  However, the biochemical basis of viperin’s antiviral activity remains unknown.  This project will employ proteomics methods to identify the protein targets of viperin in human cell cultures.  The interactions of the target proteins with viperin will then be studied in more detail in vitro using a variety of biochemical techniques.

Enzyme-based sensors for heavy metal ions (DTRA)

Contamination by heavy metals poses an important environmental health problem in many contexts.  The use of switchable enzymes to detect metal ions has the potential to produce extremely sensitive and specific real-time sensors for heavy metal contamination.  This collaborative project will combine aspects of protein design and enzymology to engineer enzymes that are activated to catalyze the hydrolysis of fluorogenic substrates by the binding of specific heavy metal ions; thereby achieving amplification of the signal.  The engineered enzymes will be characterized using a variety of spectroscopic and kinetic techniques with the eventual goal of integrating them into functional sensors. 

Qualifications

Applicants should have recently obtained or be about to obtain a Ph.D. in a relevant area of research such as enzymology, protein design, proteomics, or bioinorganic chemistry and will have a demonstrated record of productivity.

Applicants should be highly motivated and able to work independently.  They should be prepared to assume leadership of their projects and mentor graduates students and undergraduates working along side them.

Applicants should e-mail their curriculum vitae and names of three references to: 

Prof. Neil Marsh, e-mail nmarsh@umich.edu

Informal inquiries regarding these positions are welcome

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