Postdoc: Repartitioning RNA Ensembles with Small Molecules

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen; Groningen; Presencial; EUR 47.000 - 49.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Salary according to Dutch scales (4,25

232 vacation hours per year

End-year bonus

Professional development

Fixed-term 12 months

Descripción de la vacante

The Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute at the University of Groningen invites applications for a one-year postdoctoral position in the RNA Structural Dynamics Group to study how small molecules repartition RNA conformational ensembles.

The project combines SHAPE/DMS mutational profiling, ensemble deconvolution, chemical biology and functional assays in cells to identify compounds that reshape RNA structure and function, with collaboration across chemistry and structural

Formación

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Biophysics, RNA Biology, Bioinformatics or a related field, completed or nearly completed.
• Hands-on experience with RNA biochemistry and/or RNA structure probing (e.g. SHAPE, DMS, mutational profiling, NGS library prep) is a strong advantage.
• Experience with small-molecule/RNA interactions, chemical biology, compound screening or biophysical binding assays is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with computational analysis of sequencing data (Unix/shell, Python or R); experience with RNA structure prediction or ensemble analysis is a plus.
• A strong record of scientific output relative to career stage (publications, conference contributions).
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary, collaborative science and willingness to interact closely with chemists and structural biologists within and outside Groningen.
• Good written and spoken English, strong communication, organisational and mentoring skills.

Responsabilidades

• Map how small molecules reshape RNA conformational ensembles using chemical probing (SHAPE/DMS-MaP) in vitro and in cells, combined with ensemble deconvolution.
• Screen and characterise ensemble-repartitioning compounds, moving beyond affinity-based readouts to balance functional vs non-functional RNA states on disease-relevant targets.
• Dissect mechanism by defining binding sites, ligand selectivity for conformers and the thermodynamic and kinetic basis of repartitioning, in collaboration with chemistry and structural biology partners.
• Link structure to function through reporter assays, translation/splicing readouts, and transcriptome-wide structure probing in cells.
• Develop methods and analysis pipelines for high-throughput profiling of ligand-induced RNA structural changes, contributing to open-source software.
• Publish and present findings in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences; contribute to supervising PhD and MSc students.

Conocimientos

RNA biochemistry

RNA structure probing

Small-molecule/RNA interactions

Computational data analysis

English communication

Educación

PhD in Molecular Biology or related field

Herramientas

Unix/Shell

Python

R

SHAPE/DMS-MaP

Descripción del empleo

The Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute at the University of Groningen invites applications for a one-year postdoctoral position in the RNA Structural Dynamics Group to study how small molecules repartition RNA conformational ensembles.

The project combines SHAPE/DMS mutational profiling, ensemble deconvolution, chemical biology and functional assays in cells to identify compounds that reshape RNA structure and function, with collaboration across chemistry and structural