MSCA-ITN fully funded PhD position available at Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II (Italy) within Innovative Training Network (ITN) GLYTUNES. The MSCA-ITN offers a highly competitive salary, the ESRs will be contractually employed for 36 months by the recruiting organisation and will be covered under the related national social security scheme. ESRs will receive a Monthly Living Allowance plus additional monthly mobility and family allowance. GLYTUNES ITN represents a novel, pioneering platform for understanding and exploiting the Siglecs-glycans cross-talk by harnessing the synergy of combining chemical to biological, biophysical, immunological research strategies and finally translating this knowledge into novel diagnostics and therapeutics. The aim is to i) unravel the mechanisms governing sialo-glycans recognition by the immune surface receptors Siglecs, and ii) enable the rational design and development of novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies against immune and infectious diseases.
Eligibiliy rules: A ESR shall, at the time of recruitment by the host organisation, be in the first four years of their research careers and not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree. The four years start to count from the date when a researcher obtained the degree which would formally entitle him/her to embark on a doctorate
PHD PROJECT DESCRIPTION "Physico-chemical analysis of Siglecs-Glycan complexes" (ESR12)
Sialoglycans cross-talk/interaction with host immune Siglecs, description of 3D complexes. Molecular basis of recognition and binding of Siglecs to natural endogenous and exogenous substrates through ortogonal approaches (NMR spectroscopy, computational and biophysical techniques), with the aims to: get a detailed molecular picture of the Siglecs-glycans complexes, describe both protein and glycans key portions critical in the recognition and binding events; analyse the energetics and thermodynamics of the molecular interactions; fast screen possible binders with respect to a specific target receptor
Aims: Science: Study of molecular recognition events in the Siglecs-sialoglycan interaction, comprehension of the binding properties and specificity of Siglecs receptors upon sialoglycans binding; analysis of sialoglycans and proteins region involved in the recognition and binding evente description of the and analysis of the binding regions by NMR spectroscopy, computational approaches and biophysical approaches. Analysis of 3D structures of Siglecs in complex with microbial sialoglycans;- the newly synthesized ligands will be analyzed in their interaction with target Siglecs and the ligands with improved binding affinity will be further developed. Training: in structural biology, NMR spectroscopy to define protein-ligand complexes, biophysical and computational techniques and their applications, with extensive impact in both pharmaceutical industry and academia environments applied to the structural characterization of the complexes of antimicrobials with bacterial envelope targets
Expected Results: Learning how the conformation and presentation of epitopes is achieved by using NMR and other biophysical techniques; Learning how this presentation regulates the molecular recognition issues. The integrated approach based on NMR, docking and molecular modeling will profile the ligands’ epitope in their bound conformations and to provide consistent 3D-models of the interaction. With microbial ligands identification of key molecular actors of interactions between microbial ligands and Siglecs.
Enrolment in Doctoral degree(s): ESR will be enrolled at University of Naples Federico II
Project-specific selection criteria: good skills/experience in glycomics and glycosciences, glycans structure and conformation; structural biology (NMR spectroscopy); spectroscopic, biophysical, computational, spectrometric techniques for the characterization of 3D complexes, carbohydrate biochemistry, study of protein-ligand interaction via NMR spectroscopy, molecular modelling and biophysical techniques
Applications: Details on the application and recruitment process can be found on the dedicated GLYTUNES https://www.glytunes.eu/ Before applying all applicants should read the eligibility criteria for the MSCA-ITN PhD program on the ITN program (https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/595469 and https://www.glytunes.eu/).
Please forward your documents by email to: [Email Address Removed] (Alba Silipo)