Postdoctoral researcher (100%) in Structural Biology & Natural Product Biosynthesis

Your position

A postdoctoral position is available in the research group of Prof. Robin Teufel that focuses on the elucidation of natural product biosynthetic pathways and the underlying enzymology. You will be exploring bacterial aromatic polyketide biosynthesis by studying the involved enzymes mechanistically and structurally. These enzymes will be systematically exploited and engineered in cooperation with project partners focusing on the synthetic approaches to produce natural product derivatives as potential lead compounds, which will be assessed in terms of bioactivities such as antibiotic and anticancer properties. Insights regarding the complex catalytic mechanisms are expected to also contribute to our basic understanding of polyketide structural diversification. The place of work is at the Pharmacenter in Basel. Fluency in English (C2 level) is required.

Your profile

We are looking for a candidate with a doctoral degree in a field related to structural biology, pharmaceutical biology, (bio)chemistry or microbiology.  Experience in structural biology / X-ray crystallography and natural product research is required. Knowledge in enzymology, protein design, molecular biology, microbial metabolism, natural product analysis (LCMS, NMR etc.) and/or bioinformatics are furthermore advantageous. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will also assist PhD students, e.g., with the structural elucidation of proteins.

We offer you

The candidate will join a dynamic multidisciplinary research group of pharmacists, chemists and biologists working on the isolation / characterization of natural products and the underlying biosynthesis in one of the world's hubs for pharmaceutical research. Enjoy the vibrant scientific community at the University of Basel with great possibilities for internal and external collaborations as well as state-of-the-art instrumentation and infrastructure both in-house and close-by. As part of our team, you will receive supportive mentoring, a generous salary and enjoy the high quality of live in Switzerland for two to a maximum of four years.