Period of contract: 12 months
Salary: 1290 / 1800 euro /month; 5940 / 8300 PLN/ month (netto /brutto);
Expected start of the call: December 2021
Expected start of the contract: February 2022
Project webpage: Beethoven Life project
Research project:
In the FAEREACTION project, we investigate the biochemistry and reactions mechanisms of a class of novel enzymes that catalyse the radical-based addition of fumarate to a number of highly recalcitrant compounds, like hydrocarbons. These fumarate-adding enzymes (FAE) form a subclass of the glycyl radical enzymes which are highly oxygen-sensitive and need to be activated to the radical state by special activating enzymes.
We are looking for a researcher with the following expertise:
• in molecular biology, development of overexpression systems (both plasmid and genome transformation of bacteria),
• in microbiology, especially of anaerobic bacteria (development of solid growth media for A. evansii)
• development of bioprocesses, monitoring bacterial growth and bioprocess optimization,
• teaching student
• writing reports,
• writing papers.
Requirements:
• PhD in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry or related field
• Language level: fluent in English, additional knowledge of Polish or German will be an asset
• Due to the highly collaborative nature of the project and expected requirement of travel between Kraków and Marburg the candidate should possess a COVID-19 passport (i.e. be vaccinated against SAR-COV-2)
Details on the project:
The project is highly interactive between the German and Polish partners and will follow the following major aims: (A) mutagenesis studies to identify the functions of particular active site constituents and to extend the available product spectra, (B) characterization of other FAE after recombinant expression to investigate the respective accommodations to other substrates and including crystallization of various FAE to extend the structural knowledge basis on these enzymes, (C) studies on the activating enzyme to establish in-vitro activation, (D) multi-scale high-level computational investigations of the FAE reaction mechanism, backed up with experimental input, and (E) developing methods to apply FAE and their mutant variants for biotechnological production of novel compounds.
The project employs state-of-the-art techniques from the field of molecular biology and enzymology combined with molecular modelling and engineering of biotechnological processes. The results will improve the current understanding of bioremediation processes of environmental contamination caused by fossil fuel and chemical industries and will deliver fundamental biochemical data which will improve the use of microorganisms in the bioremediation of hydrocarbons. The elucidation of the mechanism for the whole class of FAE will provide new insights into a novel chemical reaction principle exploited by these enzymes. Finally, studies of FAE will also provide new tools of biotechnological processes to synthesize fine chemicals and substrates for biodegradable polymers.
The interested candidates are kindly asked to communicate their interests to maciej.szaleniec@ikifp.edu.pl.