job description
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The Department of Chemistry at BUMS carries out research and education in the fields of analytical chemistry, biochemistry and organic chemistry. The department has more than 100 employees, including about 45 PhD students. New staff and students come from all over the world and English is the main working language. The department is located in the Biomedical Center in Uppsala, which facilitates collaborations with research groups in Biology, Pharmacy, Medicine and SciLifeLab and provides a state-of-the-art infrastructure for experimental and theoretical research. The international environment and excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration enable PhD students in the department to participate in relevant research projects and prepare them for an international research career.
Read more about research in the Department of Chemistry at BMC on our website.
The PhD project will be carried out in the Sengel lab in close cooperation with the Westenhoff group. We seek to bring about positive changes in society through state-of-the-art research that goes beyond enzyme-catalyzed mechanisms, with a view to replacing fossil fuels with non-carbon-based alternatives. The PhD project is dedicated to the study of outstanding issues of green hydrogen (H2) catalysis and sustainable fertilizer production in nature.
You will address these questions through transient spectroscopy and advanced time-resolved X-ray crystallography/electron microscopy analysis (cryo-EM) of artificially-activated hydrogen enzymes, tracking the catalytic process in the form of real-time molecular movies. Addressing protein structure and its dynamics to determine the functional and structural characterization of key reaction intermediates will allow you to truly elucidate the processes of [FeFe]-hydrogenase catalyzing H2 and nitrogenase reducing N2, paving the way for nature-inspired sustainable energy solutions.
The approach is technically challenging and the main biophysical chemistry core of the project will be the development of reaction triggering concepts beyond the current state-of-the-art. You must have an interest and willingness to engage with a diverse range of disciplines as the project spans from protein expression, purification and crystallization, through biochemical and biophysical characterization of proteins, to photochemical activation and advanced state-of-the-art structural determinations using cryo-electron microscopy, synchrotrons and free-electron laser X-ray sources.
You will be trained in all the technical aspects and soft skills (e.g. time management, scientific writing) required to complete your PhD. As a member of an interdisciplinary, international and open research group, you will receive regular face-to-face mentoring in a diverse department that encourages healthy lifestyles and focuses on mental health, which will further contribute to the successful completion of the project. As a PhD student, you will not only have the peace of mind that comes with being part of this research community, but you will also have the freedom to spend your personal time working.
Scientific background: Industrial steam reforming and the Haber-Bosch process are energy-intensive and require fossil reactants. In contrast, the oxidoreductases hydrogenase and nitrogenase can catalyze H2 generation and N2 reduction under ambient conditions with abundant and efficient reactants. However, knowledge of their enzyme-catalyzed structures is based on snapshots of potential reaction intermediates accumulated under non-turnover conditions, which hampers their development for biotechnological applications.
offer requirements
To qualify for doctoral education, it is necessary to have obtained a basic higher education equivalent to at least 240 ECTS credits, including a master’s degree of at least 60 ECTS credits, including an independent project equivalent to at least 15 credits, or to have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge by other means. For more information on the general requirements, click here.
Students who have passed a program of at least 90 higher education credits (or the equivalent), of which at least 40 higher education credits are from advanced courses (second cycle), have special qualifications for the Ph.D. degree in Chemistry. For more information on discipline-specific requirements, please click here.
Good command of spoken and written English.
Emphasis is placed on the applicant’s personal qualities, such as good collaboration skills, motivation and independence, and how he/she is judged by his/her experience and competence to have the abilities necessary to develop and obtain an education in the doctoral program.
Other qualifications We are looking for a motivated individual with a strong interest in the field of sustainable catalysis, with a focus on enzyme systems.
You should have a background in physical chemistry, biochemistry, structural biology and/or molecular biology, provided that your program includes sufficient (bio)chemistry courses.
Experience in time-resolved spectroscopy/X-ray crystallography/cryo-electron microscopy and/or photocatalysis is preferred. In addition, skills in molecular biology such as heterologous protein expression and protein production or experience with oxidoreductases are advantageous but not mandatory.
The regulations concerning PhD students are contained in Chapter 5, Sections 1-7 of the Higher Education Regulations and in the regulations and guidelines of Uppsala University.
offer benefits/salary
Uppsala University is a wide-ranging research university of international importance. The ultimate goal of Uppsala University is to carry out education and research of the highest quality and relevance, contributing to society. Our most important assets are our 7,600 employees and 53,000 students who, with curiosity and dedication, make Uppsala University one of the most exciting places to work in Sweden.
Learn more about our benefits and what it’s like to work at Uppsala University https://uu.se/om-uu/jobba-hos-oss/.