Category: Jobs

** Applications are now closed **

A post-doctoral position is available to develop completely new protein scaffolds and elaborate these into de novo enzymes. This BBSRC-funded post is available for three years. It is in the protein design laboratory of Prof Dek Woolfson (Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bristol), and in collaboration with Prof Anthony Green’s protein engineering and biocatalysis group (MIB, University of Manchester). The appointed post-doc would design de novo enzymes based on new alpha-helical barrel proteins using a combination of computational design, protein biochemistry, and directed evolution.

Specifically, the work will develop de novo alpha-helical barrel proteins recently designed by the Woolfson group based on its foregoing peptide assemblies (Science 346, 485-8 (2014)). Unlike most natural peptide assemblies and proteins, these alpha-helical barrel peptides and proteins have solvent-accessible channels running completely through them. These lumens have dimensions accessible to small molecules, and the Woolfson group has shown that they can be modified through rational or computational design to incorporate new functions. Specifically, catalytic activity can be installed into the alpha-helical barrel peptides (Nature Chemistry 8, 837-44 (2016)). The new single-chain alpha-helical barrel proteins open possibilities to extend this work considerably towards the construction of de novo enzymes. The aim of the new project is to design alpha-helical barrel proteins that bind small-molecule substrates and perform catalytic transformations. To realise this potential, this project will be in collaboration with the Green lab (Nature 606, 49-58 (2022)) to bring expertise in biocatalysis, and particularly directed evolution and genetic-code expansion to the project.

Further details and how to apply
Research Associate

Closing date 
15 September 2023

For informal enquiries
Please contact: Dek Woolfson

** Applications are now closed **

A permanent Research Fellow position is available to support Professor Dek Woolfson’s group in the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol. The Woolfson group works on de novo peptide and protein design and the application of these in chemical and synthetic biology. The group bridges Chemistry, Biochemistry and the University’s synthetic/engineering biology centre, the Bristol BioDesign Institute (Prof Woolfson is Director of the BBI).

Research activity in the Woolfson group spans rational and computational peptide and protein design; the production of peptides and proteins using both synthetic and recombinant approaches; the biophysical and structural characterization of these molecules; and the applications of the resulting de novo peptide/protein modules to address problems and challenges in cell biology and biotechnology.

The postholder is expected to become actively engaged in these research activities, and would be encouraged to lead one of the group’s research programmes.

The primary responsibilities of this post are to ensure the smooth running of experimental aspects of the Woolfson research lab; to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of research in the Woolfson lab; and to help oversee the training of undergraduate and new post-graduate students, which number up to 10 each year. There will be considerable opportunity for the postholder to develop new research projects in peptide/protein design and synthetic biology with Professor Woolfson, including co-writing grant proposals and co-supervising research grants in the lab. This could extend to helping forge new collaborative research links and endeavours both across the University and with international collaborators.

Further, together with Professor Woolfson, the post-holder would be expected to contribute to undergraduate teaching in the School of Chemistry, predominantly on its first-year and Life Chemistry modules, and there will be some associated administrative duties.

Further details and how to apply
Research Fellow and Laboratory Manager

Closing date for both posts
22 February 2023

For informal enquiries
Please contact: Dek Woolfson

Overview
Two BBSRC-funded post-doctoral research associate positions are available immediately to work in Dek Woolfson’s Peptide Design and Assembly group in the Schools of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Bristol. Experience in one or more of peptide chemistry, protein biochemistry, de novo peptide/protein design, and the structural characterization of peptides and proteins would be an advantage. However, such experience is not essential, as we are looking for enthusiastic and talented researchers in the chemical/biochemical sciences who are interested in pursuing careers in peptide/protein design and its application in chemical and synthetic biology.

Post 1: De novo protein design in cells 
This three-year post is joint with Dr Mark Dodding’s group (Biochemistry, Bristol). It builds on recent work between the Woolfson and Dodding groups (Cross et al. Cell Chem Biol (2021) DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.03.010; Rhys et al. Nature Chem Biol (2022) DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01076-6). The project aims to design motor proteins from the bottom up to operate in eukaryotic cells.

Post 2: De novo enzyme design 
This post (three years, extendable to five) is part of a large £4M sLoLa grant led by Prof Nigel Scrutton FRS at the University of Manchester. The work at Bristol builds on Woolfson’s success in making and functionalizing a-helical barrels (Thomson et al. Science (2014) DOI: 10.1126/science.1257452; Thomas et al. ACS Synth Biol (2018) DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00225). The aim of the new project is to design and develop de novo peptide assemblies for applications in photocatalysis.

Environment
The Woolfson lab has purposed-built office space for computational work and laboratories for peptide chemistry, protein biochemistry, biophysics, protein crystallization, and cell biology. In addition, through Chemistry, Biochemistry, and the Bristol BioDesign Institute, the group has walk-up access to mass spectrometry, light and electron microscopy, and other facilities. The current group comprises 16 people with a balance of PhD and post-doctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds from around the world, which fosters a supportive, inclusive, and cutting-edge approach to peptide-design research.

Further details and how to apply
Post 1   /   Post 2

Closing date for both posts
20 October 2022

For informal enquiries
Please contact: d.n.woolfson@bristol.ac.uk

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