From: bco-bounces@lists.oulu.fi [mailto:bco-bounces@lists.oulu.fi] On Behalf Of anita.tienhaara@helsinki.fi
Sent: 27. elokuuta 2010 10:50
To: FinBioNet
Subject: [Bco] PhD and Postdoctoral Projects at the Centre for Biotechnology (CBT) in Turku/Abo

PhD and Postdoctoral Projects - A novel, fundamental mechanism of how small GTPases operate on the membrane

We are looking for highly motivated and ambitious candidates for PhD students, as well as Postdocs, who are interested to join our young and interactive research group at the Centre for Biotechnology (CBT) in Turku/Abo.

The CBT offers state-of-the-art research facilities for bioimaging, proteomics, genomics, crystallography, which support excellence in research in Turku. The Cell Imaging Core boasts top equipment for life-cell imaging, high-contentent and confocal microscopy, as well as state of the art FACS service and high-throughput flow cytometry. It currently also serves as the Nordic reference site for the Leica STimulated Emission Depletion (STED)- superresolution microscope.

Our research focuses on the membrane organization and signaling activity of small GTPases of the Ras-, Rho- and Rab-family. We have recently described a novel membrane-orientation switch III region for Ras proteins, which profoundly influences their biology (Abankwa D et al. (2008) A novel switch region regulates H-ras membrane orientation and signal output. Embo J 27(5): 727-735; Abankwa D et al. (2010) Ras membrane orientation and nanodomain localization generate isoform diversity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107(3): 1130-1135). We propose a model that explains the long standing biological question of how specificity of the more than 150 small GTPases is structurally defined.

We are planning to address several exciting questions around this newly discovered mechanism that touch on the fundamentals of small GTPase biology. We will be using cutting-edge imaging (Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy, FLIM and STED), high- throughput methodological approaches (high-content and cytometer chemical- and RNAi- screening, curvature assay on vesicles) and animal models.

There will be possibilities to visit our collaborators during in Australia, Europe and the USA in the projects!

We are looking for:

Biochemists, Chemists, (Bio)Physicists or Bioinformations with experience and/or interest in the following areas:

•ᾉProtein purification

•ᾉFluorescence imaging (confocal microscopes or wide field)

•ᾉFlow cytometry

•ᾉAnimal cancer models

•ᾉMolecular biology

•ᾉCell biology (transformation assays)

•ᾉProgramming (ideally image data treatment)

Experience in at least one of the above areas is required for a candidate to be considered.

Please send preferably as one merged pdf: a short CV that highlights your most outstanding achievements, as well as the email contacts of 1-2 referees (these may also be course advisors) and a brief description of your motivation to join the group (less than an A4 page) to daniel.abankwa-at-btk.fi  with the subject line ‘research candidate’. For more information, visit: http://www.btk.fi/   (group webpage updated shortly)

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Anita Tienhaara

Institute of Biotechnology

P.O. Box 56

FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, finland

tel. +358 9 191 59656

fax +358 9 191 59550

anita.tienhaara@helsinki.fi