Research Associate - Liverpool, United Kingdom - University of Liverpool

University of Liverpool

Verified Company

Liverpool, United Kingdom

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

An exciting opportunity has emerged to join the Molecular Biophysics Group to work on a MNDA-supported collaborative project between the teams from Chemistry department and ISMIB of the University of Liverpool.

The project will benefit from collaboration with leading PROTAC expert at Dundee (Ciulli) and team at the Alzheimers Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute (ARUK UCL DDI) led by Fiona Ducotterd.

We aim to provide novel scaffolds that bind to the as-yet unexploited validated pocket surrounding Trp32.

We will investigate for the first time, a fragment-based approach to drug design targeted against destabilised superoxide dismutase mutant, causative agent of motor neuron disease.

Direct crystallographic visualisation will be used to undertake lead optimisation and designing of CNS penetrant versions of initial small molecules hits.

This non-covalent binding is suitable for a PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera (PROTAC) approach. In-cell visualisation of protein aggregation and cell death would be undertaken using laser-scanning confocal microscopy. You will be supported by the medicinal chemistry PDRA recruited for this project under Professor Paul O¿Neill. You will be responsible for the structural biology/biophysics/cell biology part of the project.

Experience with various elements of a drug discovery structural biology project together with confocal microscopy for in-cell visualisation and tissue culture experience would be an advantage.

You should also be able to work in a team and previous experience of working at multiple sites would be an advantage.

You will have an opportunity to spend a month per annum at the recently opened Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation at Dundee.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential.

You will have an MPhil in Biochemistry/Biophysics/Structural biology.

This post is available from 1 October 2023 until 30 September 2026