University Of Gothenburg PhD Studentship In Molecular Biophysics in Sweden 2022

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 53 500 students and 6 500 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programs attract scientists and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The department is responsible for postgraduate education in the subject area of Natural Sciences with a focus on chemistry, biophysics, biology, and educational science. In addition, the department hosts educational programs in molecular biology, genomics and systems biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and pharmaceutical chemistry, as well as prescription education. The department collaborates with various societal actors such as schools, business,es and authorities. The Department of Chemistry and MoleculaThe Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology conducts high-quality research and education in chemical sciences and molecular life sciences. Our research and education focus on a deep understanding of chemical and biological processes in cells and in the environment.

We address important societal issues such as antibiotic resistance, cancer, brain diseases, environmental problems, and climate change. In this way, we contribute to achieving the UN’s global goals for sustainable development in the areas of good health and well-being, sustainable energy for all, sustainable cities and communities, and combating climate change.

The department is an international environment with interdisciplinary collaborations in both research and education and contributes strongly to the University of Gothenburg’s top ranking in life science.r Biology has around 200 employees. We are located in central premises both on Campus Johanneberg and on Campus Medicinareberget in Gothenburg.

The Katona group studies the fastest atomic motions in proteins with time-resolved X-ray crystallographic and terahertz spectroscopic techniques. They employ machine learning techniques in addition to conventional statistical analysis to detect and quantify concerted atomic motions. This research aims to explain the physical mechanism behind the formation of biological structures and the action of biological macromolecules. The formation and maintenance of biological structures and operation of these molecular machines occur through the combination of about a trillion steps per second, therefore the direction and magnitude of these steps are very important to understand. The research is performed at large-scale facilities such as the MaxIV synchrotron and ELI Beamlines. The Katona group collaborates with research groups from Montpellier, Marseilles, and Frankfurt in the frame of a Horizon 2020 Future and Emerging Technologies Open project (LINkS) aimed to utilize terahertz electrodynamics to study long-range interaction between proteins.

Job assignments

The candidate will study the THz dynamics of proteins and explore long-range interactions between proteins. He/she will examine how coherent protein vibrations are created in proteins and in their complexes and if they are responsible for altered function or structure. The knowledge gained may be used to understand how enzymes work. The candidate will primarily use X-ray diffraction techniques to determine the structure of the protein and appropriate biochemical assays to evaluate the activity of proteins. The candidate will actively pursue the development of software tools involved in data analysis and machine learning.

Through this position, the successful candidate will be trained in the state-of-the-art methods of protein biophysics, spectroscopy, and structural biology and will contribute towards the broader goals of the group.