We are looking for a highly motivated post-doc to join the Macromolecular Structure group of i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (https://www.i3s.up.pt/research-group?x=113) in Porto, Portugal. The position, funded for 3 years, is expected to start in April 2021.
Building on our recent work (1-5), the project aims to develop direct anticoagulants against alternative targets in the blood coagulation cascade that have not been clinically exploited to date or represent a completely unexplored mechanism of intervention. The successful candidate will investigate the inhibition potency and anticoagulant activities in vitro of potential inhibitors screened by Random nonstandard Peptide Integrated Discovery (RaPID). The candidate will also study the molecular determinants of inhibition, using X-ray crystallography, and perform SAR studies. Finally, the efficacy of lead compounds will be investigated in vivo.
The ideal candidate should hold a PhD in biochemistry, structural biology or in a related field, with a good publication record (at least 2 publications as first author in peer-reviewed journals).
Informal enquiries should be addressed to Dr. Jorge Ripoll-Rozada (jorge.rozada@ibmc.up.pt) or Dr. Pedro J.B. Pereira (ppereira@ibmc.up.pt). Applications must be submitted before 2021/03/07 at (https://www.i3s.up.pt/job-opportunities.php#positions). Reference of the position: Researcher/FCT_PROJ2020/i3S/1202/2021.
1 – Thompson, R.E.; Liu, X.; Ripoll-Rozada, J.; Alonso-García, N.; Parker, B.L.; Pereira, P.J.B.; Payne, R.J. (2017) Tyrosine sulfation modulates activity of tick-derived thrombin inhibitors. Nature Chemistry 9, 909-917. DOI: 10.1038/nchem.2744
2 – Watson, E.; Liu, X.; Thompson, R.; Ripoll-Rozada, J.; Wu, M.; Alwis, I.; Gori, A.; Loh, C.-T.; Parker, B.; Otting, G.; Jackson, S.; Pereira, P.J.B.; Payne, R. (2018) Mosquito-derived anophelin sulfoproteins are potent anti-thrombotics. ACS Central Science 4, 468-476. DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.7b00612
3 – Watson, E.E.; Ripoll-Rozada, J.; Lee, A.C.; Wu. M.C.L.; Franck, C.; Pasch, T.; Premdjee, B.; Sayers, J.; Pinto, M.F.; Martins, P.M.; Jackson, S.P.; Pereira, P.J.B.; Payne, R.J. (2019) Rapid Assembly and Profiling of an Anticoagulant Sulfoprotein Library. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 116, 13873-13878. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1905177116
4 – Calisto, B.M.; Ripoll-Rozada, J.; Dowman, L.J.; Franck, C.; Agten, S.M.; Parker, B.L.; Veloso, R.C.; Vale, N.; Gomes, P.; de Sanctis, D.; Payne, R.J.; Pereira, P.J.B. (2021) Sulfotyrosine-Mediated Recognition of Human Thrombin by a Tsetse Fly Anticoagulant Mimics Physiological Substrates. Cell Chemical Biology 28, 26-33. DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.10.002
5 – Agten, S.M.; Watson, E.E.; Ripoll-Rozada, J.; Dowman, L.J.; Wu, M.; Alwis, I.; Jackson, S.; Pereira, P.J.B.; Payne, R.J. (2021) Potent trivalent inhibitors of thrombin through hybridization of salivary sulfopeptides from hematophagous arthropods. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, in press. DOI: 10.1002/anie.202015127
-- Pedro J. B. Pereira, PhD IBMC - Biomolecular Structure Group i3S - Macromolecular Structure Group Rua Alfredo Allen 208 4200-135 Porto Portugal Tel. +351 226 074 954 E-mail: ppereira@ibmc.up.pt