We have an opening for a fully funded PhD position at
the Institut de
Biologie Structurale (www.ibs.fr)
in Grenoble, France, to study the
structural
dynamics of vitamin B12 -dependent photoreceptors by
time-resolved X-ray
crystallography and time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy in
view of
biotechnological applications.
This integrated structural biology project aims at
understanding the activation mechanism of the recently
discovered family of
vitamin B12 -dependent photoreceptors. In
particular, we aim at visualising protein conformational changes upon photoactivation
from the
photochemical (picoseconds) to the photobiological timescales
(milliseconds
-seconds). To do so, we use time-resolved crystallography at
X-ray free
electron lasers (Rios-Santacruz et al, 2026) and at
synchrotrons and
time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy. By establishing the modus
operandi
of these newly
discovered B12
photoreceptors this PhD project will open windows to
their rational
modification for biotechnological exploitation as optogenetic
components.
We welcome applications from
students
trained in protein biophysics, and preferably in crystallography
or electron
microscopy.
For further information and application by April 10th
2026,
please contact either Martin Weik (weik@ibs.fr) or Giorgio
Schirò (giorgio.schiro@ibs.fr).
Recent
publication by the group and relevant to the PhD project:
Rios-Santacruz,
R.,
H. Poddar, K. Pounot, D. J. Heyes, N. Coquelle, M. J.
Mackintosh, L. O.
Johannissen, S. Schianchi, L. N. Jeffreys, E. De Zitter, R.
Munro, M. Appleby,
D. Axford, E. V. Beale, M. J. Cliff, M. C. Davila-Miliani, S.
Engilberge, G.
Gotthard, K. Hadjidemetriou, S. J. O. Hardman, S. Horrell, J. S.
Hub, K.
Ishihara, S. Jaho, G. Karras, M. Kataoka, R. Kawakami, T. Mason,
H. Okumura, S.
Owada, R. L. Owen, A. Royant, A. Saaret, M. Sakuma, M.
Shanmugam, H. Sugimoto,
K. Tono, N. Zala, J. H. Beale, T. Tosha, J. P. Colletier, M.
Levantino, S. Hay,
P. M. Kozlowski, D. Leys, N. S. Scrutton, M. Weik, and G.
Schiro. 2026.
‘Integrated structural dynamics uncover a new B12 photoreceptor
activation
mode’, Nature, 650: 1045-52.
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-- Martin Weik Dynamics and Kinetics of Molecular Processes (DYNAMOP) research group leader Structural Protein Dynamics (SPD) research team leader Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Grenoble, France Currently Fulbright-UGA Visiting Scholar @ Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory