We are offering 2 PhD positions in organic chemistry focused on designing and synthesizing unnatural nucleotides which expand the genetic alphabet. Those will be used to facilitate single-molecule studies. As part of the European doctoral network MeChaNiSM with 15 PhD students, you will therefore contribute to understanding the thermodynamics and dynamics of DNA and RNA, as well as their interactions with small molecules, including potential drug candidates. (https://www.euraxess.se/jobs/296011)

The Kath-Schorr group is an interdisciplinary team of nucleic acid chemists, biochemists and biologists working at the interface of chemistry and biology to unravel structure function relationships of nucleic acids.

PhD position 1:

Project Title: Photoswitchable nucleotides to control enzymatically synthesized D/RNA oligonucleotides. 

Main advisor: S. Kath-Schorr, Co-advisor: E. Carlon and F. Westerlund, Mentor: S. Geschwindner, AstraZeneca AB

Objectives: 

1. Develop novel photoswitchable nucleotide derivatives which can site-specifically be incorporated into DNA and RNA during enzymatic synthesis.
2. Analyze the influence of the developed photoswitches in different sequence contexts on R/DNA secondary structures.

PhD position 2: 

Project Title: Development of novel unnatural base pairs with intrinsic fluorescence. 

Main advisor: S. Kath-Schorr, Co-advisor: J. Vreede and M.Wilhelmsson, Mentor: T. Hallstrom, NanoTemper

Objectives: 

1. To develop novel unnatural nucleotides which expand the genetic alphabet and possess intrinsic fluorescence for single molecule analyses.
2. To analyse the influence of natural and artificial RNA modifications (e.g. Pseudouridine, 1-Methylpseudouridine) on complexly folded long RNAs, in particular mRNA and lncRNA

Your Profile:

»You hold a Master's degree in Chemistry with a strong background in organic chemistry
» You possess knowledge of DNA and RNA chemistry and biochemistry
»You enjoy working in an interdisciplinary environment
» You  have excellent communication skills in spoken and written English.

Applicants must fully respect three eligibility criteria:

• The applicant does not hold a doctoral degree, or will be defending their doctoral thesis within 6 months of the date of recruitment.
• Applicants can be of any nationality, but must move from one country to another (trans-national mobility) for the position. In particular, at the time of selection, applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.
• Applicants must have sufficient skills in both written and spoken English to receive the full benefit from the network training.

Please send your application with proof of the required qualifications (transcripts of records), a CV, list of publications, 2 letters of recommendation and letter of motivation in one PDF via email to S.Kath-Schorr (skathsch@uni-koeln.de).