Posted on behalf of Jean-Luc Popot; please send enquiries/applications
to him directly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) :
Position offer
Physico-Chimie Moléculaire des Membranes Biologiques,
CNRS/Université Paris 7 UMR 7099,
IBPC, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005 Paris – France
Post-doctoral position: Developing a novel approach to membrane
protein crystallization
A postdoctoral position is open in our laboratory. The aim
of the work will be to develop the application of novel, polymeric
surfactants called amphipols to membrane protein crystallization.
Amphipols (APols) are small amphipathic polymers (1) that can substitute
for detergents to keep membrane proteins water-soluble while stabilizing
them biochemically (2). They can also be used to fold them (3).
Diffracting 3D crystals of ternary protein/APol/detergent complexes have
already been obtained in our laboratory. Our aims include extending this
result to binary protein/APol complexes, improving diffraction patterns,
testing new proteins and new APols, and determining crystallographically
the arrangement of APols in the crystals and whether the protein's
structure in this environment differs from that in detergents (for a
parallel approach using NMR, see ref. 4). The position will be initially
funded for a year on an EU grant, with a possibility of extension by one
more year on other resources. Candidates should have a good background
in membrane protein biochemistry and crystallization and a good command
of English. The work will take place in a small, interdisciplinary
laboratory (CNRS/Paris-7 University UMR 7099; www.ibpc.fr/UMR7099/)
located in a new wing of the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique in
Paris (fifth arrondissement). Access is granted to the X-ray lab of the
Institute, which is equipped with a generator, a crystallization robot
and visualization system, and temperature-controlled rooms.
Contact me exclusively by e-mail at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
, sending a C.V., a letter describing your background and research
goals, the date at which you'd like to start, and the names and e-mail
addresses of at least two advisors willing to send in letters of
recommendation.
Thanks,
Jean-Luc Popot
References
1. Tribet, C., Audebert, R. & Popot, J.-L. (1996). Amphipols: polymers
that keep membrane proteins soluble in aqueous solutions. Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA 93, 15047-15050.
2. Popot, J.-L., Berry, E. A., Charvolin, D., Creuzenet, C., Ebel, C.,
Engelman, D. M., Flötenmeyer, M., Giusti, F., Gohon, Y., Hervé, P.,
Hong, Q., Lakey, J. H., Leonard, K., Shuman, H. A., Timmins, P.,
Warschawski, D. E., Zito, F., Zoonens, M., Pucci, B. & Tribet, C.
(2003). Amphipols: polymeric surfactants for membrane biology research.
Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 60, 1559-1574.
3. Pocanschi, C. L., Dahmane, T., Gohon, Y., Rappaport, F., Apell,
H.-J., Kleinschmidt, J. H. & Popot, J.-L. (2006). Amphipathic polymers:
tools to fold integral membrane proteins to their active form.
Biochemistry 45, 13954-13961.
4. Zoonens, M., Catoire, L. J., Giusti, F. & Popot, J.-L. (2005). NMR
study of a membrane protein in detergent-free aqueous solution. Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 8893-8898.