DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, ANATOMY & GENETICS
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

Post-doctoral Research Assistant
Fixed term post on grade 7: £29,541 to £36,298 p.a.
A highly motivated and experienced Postdoctoral Research Assistant is required to work on the structure of the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel, a eukaryotic membrane protein complex.

You will be responsible for planning, carrying out and analysing experiments aimed at obtaining a high-resolution structure of the octameric KATP channel complex, or one of its constituent subunits Kir6.2 and SUR1. KATP channels link cellular metabolism to electrical activity in multiple cell types and are especially important in insulin secretion. Mutations in KATP channel genes produce neonatal diabetes or congenital hyperinsulinism and the channel is also the target for the antidiabetic sulphonylurea drugs. Our aim is to obtain an X-ray crystal structure, which will help us to determine how the channel is regulated by drugs, nucleotides, lipids and metabolism, and how mutations cause channel dysfunction. Preliminary results indicate that this project is feasible but challenging.

You will have a doctorate or equivalent in a relevant area of research and a good academic track record for the stage of your career. You will have substantial experience of molecular biology, membrane protein expression using eukaryotic systems (yeast, baculovirus and HEK cell systems), protein purification, crystallization, and a working knowledge of crystallographic software. You will be expected to drive the protein biochemistry and structural work forward independently

This is a fixed term post, funded by the European Community for up to 3 years and based in the Sherrington Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT.

The closing date for applications is Midday on Friday 31st May 2013.

Interviews to be held the week beginning 10th June 2013