Summary of Job Purpose and Principal Duties

The School of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee is a world-class academic institution with a reputation for the excellence of its research, its high quality teaching and student experience, and the strong impact of its activities outside academia. With 900 staff from over 40 countries worldwide the School provides a dynamic, multi-national, collegiate and diverse environment with state-of-the-art laboratory, technology and teaching facilities.

We are recruiting a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join the laboratory of Dr Kirby Swatek.

The goal of the Swatek lab is to understand the antiviral roles of a ubiquitin-like modifier called Interferon-Stimulated Gene 15 (ISG15). As its name suggests, ISG15 is highly upregulated in interferon-treated and virus-infected cells, and labels thousands of proteins to help shape the host immune response. However, the mechanisms underlying ISG15’s contribution to antiviral immunity is largely unknown. This project focuses on the structural analysis of the writers of the ISG15 system.

The postdoc will utilise several exciting new tools and reagents in the lab and expand on our recent progress in the area. A significant portion of the structural work will be performed using a brand-new Glacios Cryo Transmission Electron Microscope (Cryo-TEM) conveniently located in the School of Life Sciences. The successful applicant will gain hands-on training in Cryo-EM and work closely with the Cryo-EM facility. The project complements our efforts to understand the cellular roles of ISG15 modifications, and therefore, the post-holder will have several opportunities for internal and external collaborations.

Candidate Requirements:

• PhD (or will complete your PhD studies within six months of the application deadline).
• A track record of academic success.
• Expertise in cryo-EM and/or X-ray crystallography is highly desirable.
• Experience in chemical biology, biochemistry, and purification of multiprotein complexes.
• A strong background in immune signalling and ubiquitin biology would be advantageous.
• The ability to teach a small multidisciplinary team of enthusiastic scientists.
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written).

Appointment as a Postdoctoral Researcher on the grade 7 salary scale is dependent upon you having been awarded a PhD. An appointment may be considered if you are shortly expected to be awarded a PhD. In this case the initial appointment would be made as a Research Assistant on the Training Grade 7 salary scale.

Additional Information:

Commitment to DORA
The School of Life Sciences has been fully committed to the principals of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) since 2013. In assessing applicants, we consider the scientific quality of their published research papers, but do not take into account where the papers were published and do not consider journal-based metrics, such as Journal Impact Factors.

MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit

The Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC PPU, http://www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/) is a top-tier research institute conveniently located in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, a leading university in life science research. Research Groups within the MRC PPU focus on understanding how protein phosphorylation and ubiquitylation control fundamental aspects of human health and how disruption of these cellular signals results in disease.

Find out more about 'Working for the University of Dundee':

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/work-for-us

For information on life in Dundee:
https://www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/join-us/life-in-dundee

For information on our values:
https://www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/Equity-Diversity-and-Inclusion

To learn more about our research:
https://www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/research

For informal enquiries or discussions, please contact Dr Kirby Swatek - kswatek001@dundee.ac.uk

As an internationally diverse institution, we welcome job applicants from all countries and nationalities. The School of Life Sciences is proud to employ staff from over 40 different nations. The diversity of our staff and students helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for undergraduate, postgraduate and distance learning. Family friendly policies, staff networks for BME, Disabled and LGBT staff, membership of Athena SWAN, the ECU Race Equality Charter and Stonewall as well a full range of disability services, create an enjoyable and inclusive place to work.