Postdoctoral Position - Control of Non-coding Transcription

IEO - European Institute of Oncology; Lombardia; On-site; EUR 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

IEO - European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy, is offering a Postdoctoral position focused on the control of non-coding transcription. The project investigates Restrictor-mediated RNA Pol II regulation and its genomic targets, with collaboration across structural biology and computational biology.

Applicants should have a PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, bioinformatics or related field, with enthusiasm for fundamental questions and cutting-edge methods.

Qualifications

• PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics or bioinformatics.
• Experience with transcription and chromatin biology is a plus.
• Strong motivation for fundamental research and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Dissect mechanisms of Restrictor-driven RNA Pol II dismantling.
• Map genomic targets of Restrictor in the genome.
• Assess impact of Restrictor loss on genome stability and gene expression.
• Collaborate with structural biologists and computational scientists.

Skills

PhD in molecular biology

Biochemistry

Genetics

Bioinformatics

Chromatin

Education

PhD in related field

Job description

Postdoctoral Position - Control of Non-coding Transcription

IEO - European Institute of Oncology

Milan, Italy

€ 45.000 per year gross

About the Project

Understanding how cells keep transcription precisely in check is fundamental to genome integrity and normal development. Mammalian genomes contain hundreds of thousands of enhancers and promoters that can release RNA Polymerase II in both directions. If left unchecked, this pervasive initiation generates a massive amount of extragenic RNAs that can disrupt nuclear organization, lead to DNA damage and perturb normal gene regulation.

Our lab has recently discovered Restrictor, a conserved, essential metazoan complex that patrols thousands of non-coding transcription units and halts RNA Pol II with a still unclear mechanism. This non-enzymatic, cleavage-independent off-switch sets Restrictor apart from all known termination pathways and opens new questions about how cells partition productive gene transcription from potentially harmful background noise.

As a postdoc, you will contribute to:

• Dissect the molecular mechanism of Restrictor-driven RNA Pol II dismantling.
• Map its genomic targets.
• Probe the impact of Restrictor loss on genome stability and gene expression programs.
• Collaborate with structural biologists and computational scientists to integrate mechanistic and systems-level insights.

Qualifications

We seek a creative, self-driven scientists with a PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, bioinformatics or a related field. Applicants who will have submitted their PhD thesis by the start date of the contract but have not yet defended it will also be considered eligible. Expertise in chromatin, transcription, or RNA biology is a plus but not required; genuine enthusiasm for tackling fundamental questions with cutting-edge methods is essential.

Deadline 8 November