Postdoc position in Structural Biology for Drug Discovery

at  Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

POSTDOC POSITION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY FOR DRUG DISCOVERY

• (2500000L)
  Project: Development of novel small molecules that inhibit the growth of early stage melanoma tumors
  Commitment & contract: collaboration contract, 12 months – renewable
  Location: Genova, Italy

WHO WE ARE

At IIT, we are committed to advancing human-centered Science and Technology to address the most urgent societal challenges of our era. We foster excellence in both fundamental and applied research, spanning fields such as neuroscience and cognition, humanoid technologies and robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and material sciences, offering a truly interdisciplinary scientific experience. Our approach integrates cutting-edge tools and technology, empowering researchers to push the limits of knowledge and innovation. With us, your curiosity will know no bounds.
We are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities and fostering diversity in all its forms, creating an inclusive environment. We value the unique experiences, knowledge, backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives of our people. By embracing diversity, we believe science can achieve its fullest potential.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• PhD Degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Biotechnology or closely related fields, with a strong record of research productivity;
• Documented experience on structural biology;
• Knowledge and hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques, such as cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, PCR, western blotting, etc.;
• Familiarity with imaging techniques and with quantitative image analysis;
• A strong publication record, according to your level of experience;
• Ability to properly report, organize and publish research data;
• Documented experience in coaching junior scientists;
• Good command in spoken and written English .

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• Good communication skills;
• Strong problem solving attitude;
• High motivation to learn;
• Spirit of innovation and creativity;
• Good in time and priority management;
• Ability to work in a challenging and international environment;
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary environment.

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 Molecular Modeling and Drug Discovery Research Unit is coordinated by Dr. Marco De Vivo, who has extensive experience in computational and medicinal chemistry and biochemistry for drug discovery.
The lab is a multicultural and multi-disciplinary group, where you will be working in close contact with both computational and experimental researchers in medicinal chemistry and biochemistry. We are looking for a candidate with experience in structural biology and biochemistry (protein expression, purification, crystallization and enzymatic assays), that will play a key role in characterize proteins and new inhibitors with potential for high-impact publications.
Within the team, you will work on:

· Characterization of the activity and mechanism of action of small molecules in vitro using enzyme-based assays;

• Protein crystallization and structure determination;
• Characterization of the mechanism of action of small molecules in mammalian cell-based assays using human cancer cell lines;
• Characterization of protein-protein and/or protein-ligand interaction using biophysical methods like ITC, MST, SPR, etc.;