Postdoctoral Researcher in Biochemistry and Structural Biology

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is consistently ranked as one of the world's leading universities. There are approximately 47,000 students and more than 8,800 employees in Lund, Helsingborg, and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain, and improve our world and the conditions of people.

Lund University welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Gender equality, equal opportunities, and diversity are fundamental principles for all parts of our operations.

The Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology is part of the Centre for Molecular Protein Science (CMPS), Department of Chemistry.

CMPS offers a creative and strong research environment with excellent infrastructure and several successful groups that have attracted prestigious grants from the European Research Council and the Wallenberg Foundation (see here (https://www.cmps.lu.se) for more information).

The current position is located in Prof. Susanna Horsefield's research group. The group's research focuses on understanding how membrane-bound proteins control the transport of substances across biological membranes in both animal and plant cells. The aim of the research is to provide detailed knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of these transport processes and their regulation by developing structural models of membrane proteins and membrane protein complexes.

Job Responsibilities

The project includes structural and functional studies of human membrane-bound water channels with high medical relevance. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of their physiological and pathophysiological roles and generate structural information that can be used to develop drugs against, for example, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. The job responsibilities include expression, purification, and functional and structural characterization of human aquaporins with and without an interacting partner. You will work with methods for recombinant production of membrane proteins in yeast, protein-protein interaction studies, and structure determination using cryo-electron microscopy. You are also expected to take an active role in the group's overall research activities, including general laboratory tasks and equipment responsibility, as well as assist in supervising PhD students and project students.

Qualifications for Employment

• PhD in biochemistry, structural biology, biomedicine, or another relevant field.
• At least two years of postdoctoral experience in the structural biology of membrane proteins.
• Excellent command of English, both spoken and written.
• Significant experience and knowledge of expression, purification, and characterization of human membrane proteins.
• Documented practical experience in structure determination of membrane proteins using cryo-electron microscopy.
• Documented practical experience in protein-protein interaction studies.

Meritorious for Employment

Practical experience in the following is highly meritorious:

• Recombinant expression of human membrane proteins in yeast.
• Structural studies of membrane proteins in complex with interaction partners.
• Structure-function studies of human aquaporins.
• Supervision of project students.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive, and independence, as well as how the applicant is assessed to complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department and contribute to its future development through their experience and expertise.

Conditions

The employment is temporary for 11 months with a desired start date of 2026-01-12 or by agreement.

Contact person: Prof. Susanna Horsefield, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]), +46 70 515 92 43

Application Instructions

The application should be written in English and include a compiled PDF with the following:

• Curriculum vitae including a publication list.
• A general description of previous research work and future research interests (max three pages).
• Contact information for at least two references.
• A copy of the doctoral degree certificate and any other certificates/grades you wish to refer to.

At the Faculty of Science, research and education are conducted in biology, astronomy, physics, geoscience, chemistry, mathematics, and environmental science. The activities are conducted at eight departments located within the northern university area. The faculty has about 1,500 students, 360 doctoral students, and 700 employees.

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