POSTDOC POSITION IN RNA-DIRECTED DRUG DISCOVERY

• (25000017)
  Commitment & contract: collaboration contract, 1 year - renewable
  Location: IIT, Genova, via Morego 30

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular or Structural biology and similar disciplines;
• Documented experience in biochemistry and molecular biology;
• Strong publication record;
• Good command of spoken and written English;
• Availability to relocate to Sweden for extended periods of training for the project

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• Experience in RNA biochemistry and structural biology;
• Knowledge of structural biology processing software;
• Ability to work in a challenging and international environment;
• Capacity to work autonomously and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary environment;
• Possess analytical reasoning skills and a growth mindset.

You will be working in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary group, where junior and senior scientists collaborate, each with their expertise, to carry out a scientific activity with a shared research goal.
The selected candidate will work in the “Molecular Modeling and Drug Discovery” Research Unit, led by Dr. Marco De Vivo and, specifically, within the group of Dr. Marco Marcia, that is based at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. The research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanism of action of catalytic and regulatory non-coding RNAs through molecular biology, biochemistry, and structural biology approaches. This includes the development of novel strategies for RNA functional modulation for therapeutic applications.

Within the research team, your main responsibilities will be:

• Producing and purifying functional RNA;
• Studying the molecular properties of the target RNA and its inhibition by small molecules using established biochemical, enzymatic, and cellular assays;
• Developing novel assays relevant to the project;
• Structurally characterizing the interactions between RNA and inhibitors by crystallography and / or cryo-electron microscopy;
• Contributing to the efficient operation of the laboratory;
• Contributing to the procurement of consumables and other laboratory reagents and instrumentation.