PhD student in Physical Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry is, with about 200 employees, one of the largest departments at the Faculty of Natural sciences at Stockholm University. A significant part of the teaching activities is at the undergraduate level with courses in General, Physical, Inorganic, Organic and Analytical Chemistry. The teaching at the graduate level focuses on the master programs in Sustainable Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry.

Research activities in the department focus primarily on materials, including different classes such as ceramics, glasses, self-assembled, porous materials, and soft matter. The projects often encompass synthesis, and characterization by X-ray, neutron diffraction, electron microscopy, electron crystallography, solid-state NMR, and computer modelling of materials with a potential for various applications. Research activities in the area of Analytical Chemistry focus on developing advanced analytical techniques for studies of organic compounds and biomolecules. More information about us, please visit us here.

Project description

Project title:  Advanced electron diffraction methods for revealing 3D protein structures and protein-ligand interactions

Project leaders (PI): Prof. Xiaodong Zou (main supervisor); Dr. Gerhard Hofer (co-supervisor)

Determining the 3D atomic structures of macromolecules is essential for understanding their biological functions and the chemical processes they drive. This information is also crucial for drug design. While X-ray diffraction remains the primary method for structure determination, it requires large single crystals. 3D electron diffraction (3DED), also known as MicroED, has emerged as a powerful technique in determining atomic structures from nano- and microcrystals that are too small for traditional methods. Its significance was recognized in 2018, when it was highlighted by Science as one of the ten major breakthroughs of the year (https://vis.sciencemag.org/breakthrough2018/). Recently, Prof. Zou’s group developed innovative methods for crystallizing protein micro-and nanocrystals, as well as workflows for serial electron diffraction (SerialED). These workflows enabled automated screening of tens of thousands of crystals per hour, allowing high-resolution and high-quality structural analyses of protein crystals. The advancement has made it possible to accurately determine atomic positions of ligands within protein molecules and analyze detailed protein-ligand interactions. These breakthroughs open new opportunities of electron diffraction for structure-based and fragment-based drug design, providing unique insights and tools for pharmaceutical development.

The PhD project focuses on applying and further developing serial electron diffraction method for determining 3D protein structures and studying protein-ligand interactions. The project will involve:

• Optimizing crystallization conditions for protein micro- and nanocrystals.
• Testing and improving data collection and processing workflows for protein structural analysis by SerialED.
• Developing high-throughput ligand screening strategies for SerialED.
• Applying these new strategies to study protein-ligand interactions and to identify potential drugs.

The candidate will collaborate with biochemists, structural biologist, and software developer at Stockholm University, SciLifeLab and international leading labs. Opportunities are available to work with leading pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca.

The project is funded by the Swedish research Council (VR) and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW). More information about the project and Prof. Zou can be found at the KAW project page and Prof. Zou’s homepage.

Qualification requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate education, the applicant must have the general and specific entry requirements. The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

You meet general entry requirements if you have completed a second-cycle degree, or completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

Specific entry requirements are described in the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field of chemistry.

Selection

The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity:

• documented knowledge in a relevant field of research
• capacity for analytical and creative thinking
• initiative
• independence
• ability to collaborate
• written and oral proficiency in English.

Experience in biochemistry, structural biology, crystallography, and/or cryo-EM is highly desirable.

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University.

About the employment

We offer a fixed-term employment as a doctoral student according to Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). The period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. As a doctoral student, you should primarily devote yourself to your own doctoral education, but the employment may include work with education, research and administration to a limited extent (maximum 20 %).

A new employment as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, the employment is then renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact

For more information, please contact Professor Xiaodong, xiaodong.zou@mmk.su.se. For general information about the Department of Chemistry, please contact the Head of the Department, Professor Niklas Hedin, niklas.hedin@mmk.su.se.

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. Attach a personal letter and CV as well as the attachments requested in the application form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.