PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology

PhD-STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP (4 years) at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
We seek a highly motivated and enthusiastic PhD candidate at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin. The position of a PhD-student is available for a period of four (4) years. The position is part of the project: ”Deciphering the ribosome inactivating proteins modus operandi at the molecular and cellular levels” financed by the NCN (National Science Centre). Principal Investigators (PI) are Prof. Adolfo Rivero Muller (https://dbmb.umlub.pl/en/life-at-arms) (Medical University of Lublin) and Dr Przemysław Grela (Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin).
About a project (see end of the document and link: https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/default/files/listy-rankingowe/553921-en.pdf ).
WORK TASKS
• Carrying out the practical laboratory work described in the project
• Analyse the data and write scientific articles related to the work
• The project is in a collaboration with Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (Lublin, Poland) so the student is expected to spend some periods there.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
• Any nationality or gender.
• Graduate of MSc studies in the following fields: Biology, Biotechnology, Biophysics, Bioengineering or Biomedicine (or related fields).
• PhD student status at the start and during participation in the project / Readiness to start education at the Doctoral School of the Medical University of Lublin;
• Good practical and theoretical knowledge of molecular and cell biology.
• Experience in microscopy and spectroscopic techniques.
• Basic skills in bacterial and cell culture methods, molecular cloning, flow cytometry, fluorescence imaging and statistics.
• Great work capacity and enthusiasm for research.
• An active participation in student scientific groups, societies and conferences.
• Fluency in spoken and written English. The working language is English.
• Publications in refereed journals, any internships abroad, or teaching abilities will be considered as additional advantages.
• Prior experience in flow cytometry and confocal microscopy will be considered as valuable assets.

THE APPLICATION MUST CONTAIN:
• a brief motivation letter (one page) outlining why you are interested in the position, your previous research projects and work experience (CV) and your career goals.
• A description of your Master thesis
• copies of diplomas and all relevant certificates
• complete list of conference abstracts and/or publications
• for the purpose of the recruitment process, please attach the following document
Attachment 1

WE OFFER
Stipend level (scholarship) is at least 4,000 Polish zloty gross/month for 4 years (48 months). An active environment and a highly motivated group.

HOW TO APPLY
Please attach your application in English as a single pdf file (max 15 Mb) and send it to: agnieszka.styczynska@umlub.pl

Reviewing of the candidates will begin in Mid-June (2023) and will continue until the position is filled.
Planned start date of the scholarship: September/October 2023, but later if neceessary.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The best candidates will be invited for about 30 minutes job interview that will be organized on the Zoom platform.
The competition may not be settled due to lack of candidates meeting the requirements.
The decision of the Recruitment Committee cannot be appealed.
The scholarship is granted according to REGULATIONS FOR AWARDING NCN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NCN-FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS (https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/default/files/pliki/uchwaly-rady/2019/uchwala25_2019-zal1_ang.pdf ).
The NCN research scholarship may be combined with other scholarships and salaries financed from NCN funds awarded under more than one research project, with the reservation that the total amount of scholarships and salaries collected may not exceed 5 000 PLN per month.

PROJECT OVERVIEW
Some of the most toxic proteins known in nature are the Ribosomal Inactivating Proteins (RIPs). The current accepted model of RIP action depicts that RIPs depurinate (remove one adenine base from the rRNA at the sarcin-ricin loop, SRL) the 60S rRNA, leading to protein biosynthesis inhibition regarded as the main trigger of cell death. However, despite many years of research, the mechanism of RIP toxicity at the cellular level is still obscure. Thus, the project is focused on deciphering the mechanism of action of RIPs using structural/biophysical and molecular biology approaches, as well as analyzing various members of the RIP family.

The project is to bring new light in understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of RIP toxicity towards eukaryotic cells, an issue that has never been solved so far. RIPs represent a hope for designing effective cancer-targeted therapy tools, now limited mainly due to severe side-effects, such as vascular leakage syndrome. Our project will provide unique opportunities not only to understand the biology of RIPs, but also, by development of tools, to control toxic proteins inside the cell, which will pave the way for development of new and safe RIP-based anti-viral and anti-cancer targeted technologies.