Postdoctoral researcher in computational biophysics

With focus on artificial intelligence in structural biology

Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. Our ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a long-term difference in society. Our most important assets are all the individuals whose curiosity and dedication make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces. Uppsala University has over 54,000 students, more than 7,500 employees and a turnover of around SEK 8 billion.

Postdoctoral position in structural biology: Bridging the gap between  experiment and artificial intelligence for determining protein structure is available in Chemistry BMC.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at Uppsala University

Department of Chemistry – BMC conducts research and education in analytical chemistry, biochemistry and organic chemistry. More than 100 people work at the department. New employees and students are recruited from all over the world and English is the main working language. The department is located at the Biomedical Centre in Uppsala, which facilitates collaborations with research groups in biology, pharmacy, medicine and SciLifeLab and gives access to advanced infrastructure for experimental and theoretical studies. You can find more information about us here.

The position is placed in the Westenhoff research group, which works on uncovering structural dynamics of proteins and chemical reactions. The research at the interface of biology, chemistry and physics has resulted in two ERC awards and other high profile grants, and the group continuously publishes in widely recognized journals. Find more information on: http://www.westenhofflab.net/ and on google scholar.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to determine hybrid experimental/predicted  protein structures. The project idea is to record and use data using single-particle cryo EM (project 1) or serial X-ray crystallography (project 2) and to combine these with methods that predict protein structure by machine learning and artificial intelligence (AlphaFold). The method development in machine learning is in close collaboration with the Lindsten group at the division of Statistics and Machine Learning at Linköping University. Please state you interest in either project; combining them is also an option. We are very much interested in your own ideas in the subject area.  

Duties
Depending on the project design and your personal preferences, work duties may include:

• Research within the specified project.
• Computational analysis of single-particle cryo EM and/or serial crystallography data with AI or machine learning.
• Application of experimental data to restrict the search space of prediction methods that use machine learning to protein structure prediction 

Requirements
PhD degree in computational or experimental structural biology/related field, or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in computational or experimental structural biology. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Those who have obtained a PhD degree three years prior to the application deadline are primarily considered for the employment. The starting point of the three-year frame period is the application deadline. Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc. 

You are a driven individual and are required to have:

• Hands-on expertise with either advanced computational data analysis and/or programming in structural biology or with advance knowledge in single-particle cryo electron microscopy or serial crystallography for protein structure determination.
• A very good publication record, which demonstrates scientific maturity and productivity.  
• A track record of scientific independence, creativity, team work and results orientation.

We attach great importance to personal qualities such as your dedication to your scientific work, your scientific leadership qualities and your ability to work well in teams. Candidates must be able to express themselves very well in spoken as well as written English.

Additional qualifications
Beneficial is if you have:

• First-hand experience with machine learning and artificial intelligence applied to problems in biophysics or structural biology.
• Have documented experiments at the interface of computational and experimental structural biology.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of 2 years according to central collective agreement. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date date 1st of March or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala.

For further information about the position, please contact: 
(Prof Sebastian Westenhoff Sebastian.Westenhoff@chem.gu.se, +46 766 18 3936).

Please submit your application by 15 March 2022, UFV-PA 2022/292.