Protein quality control and cell adaptation to stress

The laboratory of Sebastian Schuck at the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University is looking for a PhD student to explore SHRED, a novel pathway regulating protein degradation during stress.

Cells eliminate damaged proteins as part of protein quality control. This ability is essential for cell adaptation to stress, and failure to destroy the right proteins at the right time leads to disease. For example, inefficient protein degradation during aging causes disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Similarly, cancer cells chronically accumulate misfolded proteins and only survive by degrading them. Therefore, activating or inhibiting protein degradation may help combat many diseases. For this, a key step is to understand the mechanisms by which cells regulate protein degradation.

We have recently discovered SHRED (stress-induced homeostatically regulated protein degradation), a novel regulatory pathway in yeast that specifies the targets of protein degradation (Szoradi et al., Molecular Cell, 2018). Stress induces the synthesis of the protein Roq1, which is proteolytically cleaved and reprograms the ubiquitin ligase Ubr1 for accelerated degradation of misfolded proteins. The aims of this project are to elucidate the molecular mechanism of SHRED through biochemical in vitro reconstitution, identify the physiological roles of SHRED in yeast, and determine if SHRED exists in mammals.

If you are passionate about understanding life’s fascinating complexity at the molecular level, our young lab in a lively, international and collaborative research environment may be the right place for you. A strong background in biochemistry and molecular biology is important for this project. Also, you should be comfortable working in an English-speaking environment. If you are interested, please visit our website for more information (http://www.zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de/Schuck) and contact [Email Address Removed].