Dienstag, 26. August 2008

NMR Spectroscopist South Africa

NMR Spectroscopist
Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch (Cape Town area), South Africa
(Ref. 08AR302)

The Central Analytical Facility (CAF) hosts much of the large analytical equipment of Stellenbosch University within nine operational units. Equipment is managed independently within the CAF to ensure optimal utilisation and service to the research community of the University, as well
as the South African research and development sector in general.

The NMR Laboratory is one of the larger units within the CAF and is the best equipped NMR laboratory in South Africa. The laboratory houses three solution-state NMR spectrometers (300, 400 & 600 MHz) and a wide-bore 500-MHz dedicated solid-state NMR spectrometer. All spectrometers are Varian systems.

Together with other staff members of the unit, the NMR Spectroscopist will ensure that the unit functions to the best advantage of research at the institution.

Duties: Liaising with clients to assist with NMR spectroscopic problems, ranging from proposing appropriate experiments and running the experiments for clients (academic and commercial), to assisting with interpretation of spectra, providing practical training for students on the NMR spectrometers, assisting with the implementation of safety procedures in the laboratory, instrument maintenance and troubleshooting of instrument-related problems, assisting with the financial and functional administration of the laboratory.

Requirements: MSc in Chemistry - practical experience in solution-state NMR spectroscopy - knowledge of principles and theory of NMR spectroscopy - ability to interpret solution-state NMR spectra - ability to work independently in a service orientated environment - proven ability to handle multiple tasks under time pressure - sound oral and written communication skills.

Recommendations: PhD in Chemistry - experience in the use of Varian NMR spectrometers - a broad understanding of various areas of Chemistry in order to understand clients problems.

Commencement of duties: As soon as possible

Closing date: 5 September 2008

Enquiries: Gary Stevens on +27 21 808 3127 or email gs@sun.ac.za

The University will consider all applications in terms of its
Employment Equity Plan, which acknowledges the need to diversify the
demographic composition of the staff corps, especially with regard to
the appointment of suitable candidates from the designated groups.

The University reserves the right not to make an appointment.

A competitive remuneration package and excellent service benefits are
attached to this position. For further details, contact +27 21 808 4829.

Your full application, comprising
(1) a completed application form
(obtainable on our homepage or by e-mailing vacancies@sun.ac.za or contacting +27 21 808 4542) and
(2) a comprehensive curriculum vitae (including the names and contact
details of at least two referees), must reach the University before or
on the closing date of the advertised post.

Forward your application via e-mail to vacancies@sun.ac.za or to The
Manager: Personnel Provisioning & Planning, Stellenbosch University,
Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, or fax +27 21 808 2484.

Should no feedback be received from the University within four weeks
of the closing date, kindly accept that your application did not succeed.

Postdoctoral Position in Biomolecular NM

Postdoctoral Position in Biomolecular NMR of partially folded and intrinsically unfolded proteins at the Institute of Structural Biology in Grenoble, France.


Two year postdoctoral position to work in NMR developments for the study of partially folded proteins at the Institute of Structural Biology in Grenoble (in the group of Martin Blackledge : Protein Dynamics and Flexibility by NMR).

Web site :

Current research interests lie in the study of conformational flexibility in proteins in their different forms, from intrinsically disordered proteins to folded globular proteins, and to understand the complex relationship between molecular motion and biological function and malfunction. Our principal tool is Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), combined with complementary biophysical techniques such as molecular simulation and small angle scattering. We are actively collaborating with a number of groups, allowing immediate application of developed techniques to biological paradigms involving dynamic or disordered systems. The key systems that we are studying are proteins involved in the development of neurodegenerative disease, viral proteins regulating transcription and replication and cancer-related proteins. Some relevant references listed below.


The Institute of Structural Biology houses three NMR spectrometers equipped with cryogenic probes (two 600 MHz and one 800 MHz) and the group collaborates closely with the nearby European high field NMR centre in Lyon with access to higher field instruments (900 MHz and 1 GHz NMR spectrometers by the end 2008). The NMR groups at the IBS also share access to a fully equipped wet lab for the preparation of isotopically labeled NMR samples.
Grenoble is a pleasant city situated in the heart of the French Alps and hosts one of Europe’s most vibrant structural biology communities comprising the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the Laue Langevin Institute (ILL), the Structural Biology Institute (IBS) and the EMBL Grenoble Out-Station.

Previous experience in the study of biomolecular structure or dynamics using modern heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy techniques is considered an advantage, although candidates from complementary fields will also be considered.
A competitive salary (based on previous research experience) is offered with health insurance, retirement plan and language training allowance. Interested candidates should forward a curriculum vitae, list of publication and electronic and postal addresses of potential referees to martin.blackledge@ibs.fr



Quantitative Conformational Analysis of Partially Folded Proteins from Residual Dipolar Couplings : Application to the Molecular Recognition Element of Sendai Virus Nucleoprotein. Malene Ringkjøbing Jensen, Klaartje Houben, Ewen Lescop, Laurence Blanchard, Rob W.H. Ruigrok and Martin Blackledge. J.Am.Chem.Soc. 130, 8055-8061 (2008).
Structure of tumor suppressor p53 and its intrinsically disordered N-terminal transactivation domainMark Wells, Henning Tidow, Trevor J. Rutherford, Phineus Markwick, Malene Ringkjobing Jensen, Efstratios Mylonas, Dmitri I. Svergun, Martin Blackledge*, and Alan R. Fersht*. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (U.S.A.) 105, 5762–5767 (2008).
Mapping the Conformational Landscape of Urea-Denatured Ubiquitin using Residual Dipolar Couplings. Sebastian Meier, Stephan Grzesiek and Martin Blackledge J.Am.Chem.Soc. 129, 9799-9807 (2007).
Highly Populated Turn Conformations in Natively Unfolded Tau Protein Identified from Residual Dipolar Couplings and Molecular Simulation. M. D. Mukrasch, P.R.L. Markwick, J. Biernat, M. von Bergen, P. Bernado, C. Griesinger, E. Mandelkow, M. Zweckstetter and M. Blackledge J.Am.Chem.Soc. 129, 5235-5243 (2007).
Exploring Multiple Timescale Motions in Protein GB3 using Accelerated Molecular Dynamics and NMR. P. Markwick, G. Bouvignies and M. Blackledge J.Am.Chem.Soc. 129, 4724-4730 (2007).


Martin Blackledge
Group Leader
Protein Dynamics and Flexibility by NMR
Institut de Biologie Structurale
41 Rue Jules Horowitz
Grenoble
38027
France
martin.blackledge@ibs.fr

Telephone: +33 438 789 554

Ph.D. Students Physical Chemistry/Solid State NMR

Ph.D. Students Physical Chemistry/Solid State NMR

At present there are several vacancies for both phd projects and post doc positions.

1) Hydrogen storage

One of the critical problems for a future economy that is less dependent on fossil fuels is the need to find a suitable solution for energy storage. Hydrogen gas is considered as a promising candidate for a light and clean fuel in automotive applications. However the hydrogen density both in the liquid and (high pressure) gas phase is rather low. Storage of hydrogen in the form of complex chemical compounds such as metal hydrides can be an attractive alternative. Recent developments have shown that reversible hydrogen charging is possible at near ambient pressures and temperatures. However, the kinetics and thermodynamic efficiency need to be further optimized. Also, the effective weight of these compounds are still rather high. With solid state synthesis methods it is possible to make thin films with gradients in composition or catalytic doping. This can be used as an effective method of combinatorial chemistry to optimize the density and kinetics of the hydrogen storage.

NMR is the method of choice to study local molecular and (disordered) crystalline structure. Also, it can give insight in local mobility of the hydrogen atoms. Unfortunately the conventional NMR probes are not optimized for thin film samples and the relatively low sensitivity precludes high resolution MRI and local NMR spectroscopy. With new stripline rf stuctures we can achieve a much higher sensitivity. In addition, the planar design is optimal for thin film applications. It is the purpose of the present project to develop a novel type of scanning NMR probe that will be used for local analysis of these combinatorial hydrogen storage materials. If you are interested in a combination of fundamental science with innovative technological developments aimed at a solution for urgent environmental problems then this is the job for you.

2) Dynamic Nuclear Polarization on a chip

With modern microfluidic chip technology it is possible to do chemical synthesis in nanoliter volumes. We are developing NMR methods to be able to monitor these reactions in situ. This may allow a fast and convenient optimization of all process parameters. In addition, one can study the reaction kinetics in detail and intermediate products can be identified. A second application of this technology is the study of very small samples of for example human or animal metabolites. We have recently demonstrated that this is possible without loss in resolution. However, for these low concentration samples it is necessary to enhance the sensitivity of the NMR method. Since the probe designs already approach intrinsic quantum sensitivity limits, the only alternative is to enhance the effective polarization of the nuclei. This can be done by a transfer of the much larger polarization from unpaired electrons, thus effectively cooling the nuclei to a more favourable Bolzmann distribution.

We are looking for two enthousiastic and highly motivated PhD students to realize this possibility. One student will be based at the Mesa+ center at the university of Twente, and will concentrate on the design and production of the chips, including the necessary microwave structures. The second student will be based at the Radboud University and will concentrate on the NMR and EPR aspects. Applications of the new methodology to analyse bio metabolites will be a joint effort.

3) High sensitivity solid state NMR at 850 MHz

The infrastructure for solid state NMR at the Radboud University will soon be upgraded with a powerful 850 MHz wide bore NMR system. This will provide unique capabilities to study functionalized molecular materials. A continuous effort is to optimized the NMR sensitivity for these nanosized samples. We recently developed a novel MAS probe with integrated microcoil detection. This design opens new possibilities for ultra low temperature NMR. Also it can be combined with efficient microwave resonators to allow in situ high frequency Dynamic Nuclear Polarization. In collaboration with Varian inc. (one of the main suppliers of NMR spectrometers) we will develop the necessary equipment for this purpose. A novel gyrotron source will be built to provide the TeraHertz radiation for DNP.

We are looking for an experienced and creative postdoc, preferably with a background in NMR and/or TeraHerz spectroscopy. Excellent experimental and communication skills are required to make this international endeavor to a succes.

Requirements

Required education/skills: Doctorate
We are looking for an enthusiastic researcher with a Master’s degree in physics or physical chemistry, and with adequate theoretical and experimental skills. We prefer candidates with a good team spirit, who like to work in an internationally oriented environment and are able to collaborate with our partner groups on the crossroads between chemistry and (technical) physics.

Conditions of employment

Estimated maximum salary per month: eur 2000 - 2500
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract for PhD studens: Starts for a period of
one year, with a possible prolongation till 4 years
Maximum hours per week: 40
The post-doc position is initially for a period of two years.
Salary will depend on previous expertise.

Additional information about the vacancies can be obtained from:

E-mail address: A.Kentgens@science.ru.nl

Or through one of the following links.

about the department

Radboud University Nijmegen

Postdoc position Leiden

The Solid-state NMR group of the Leiden Institute of Chemistry invites applications for a

Postdoc position (up to 3 years).

Founded by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel of the European Commission, within a research network coordinated by the Fraunhofer-Institut Oberhausen, we aim to study the absorptive properties of coal and link to a molecular structure model.

Additional to a MAS NMR analysis of coal samples, optical pumping of noble gasses in order to explore surface properties is intended.

The solid-state NMR group in Leiden provides a comprehensive infrastructure including various fields (MAS between 2.3 to 17.6 Tesla), MRI, facilities for illumination in the magnet (Xe lamps, solid-state lasers, OPO) and for low temperature experiments.

Interested candidates should have a strong background in solid-state NMR, knowledge on optical pumping is desirable, interest on material science and the ability to work independently within the network. The postdoc would be encouraged to build up his/her own line of research. The position will be initially offered for one year with the intension to extend to about three years. Project start will be 1st of October 2008.

For information and application, please contact:
Dr. Jörg Matysik
j.matysik (at) chem.leidenuniv.nl
tel.: +31-71-527 4198


***************************************************
Dr. Joerg Matysik
Leiden Institute of Chemistry, University of Leiden
PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden (mail)
Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden (visit/courier)
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31-71-527-4198
Fax: +31-71-527-4603
j.matysik@chem.leidenuniv.nl
www.cidnp.net
****************************************************

Stelle NMR-Mitarbeiter(in) CTA

An der Universität zu Köln, Department für Chemie - NMR-Abteilung - ist zum
nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt befristet bis 07.01.2009 die Stelle einer/eines
CTA (Vollzeit, Entgeltgruppe 6 TV-L)
zu besetzen.
Das Department für Chemie hat eine zentrale modern ausgestattete NMR-Abteilung. Unter
einer wissenschaftlichen Leitung sind zwei Laboranten/CTAs und ein Ingenieur mit
Messaufgaben und der Wartung der Geräte betraut. Die Arbeit ist vom Kontakt zu den
DiplomandInnen und DoktorandInnen geprägt.
Ihre Aufgaben:
Sie betreuen die NMR-Geräte der Abteilung und führen selbständig Routine- und
Spezialmessungen an organischen und anorganischen Verbindungen durch. Sie verstehen
sich als Dienstleister/In für die Wissenschaftler/innen, deren Proben Sie messen und die Sie in Bezug auf Wahl der Experimente und Bedienung der Spektrometer beraten. Außerdem übernehmen Sie einfache Wartungsaufgaben.
Ihr Profil:
Sie haben eine Ausbildung zum/zur CTA oder eine gleichwertige Qualifikation und
Berufserfahrung auf dem Gebiet der Instrumentellen Analytik - im optimalen Fall in der NMR Spektroskopie.
Gute Englischkenntnisse und der Umgang mit moderner Bürotechnik sind für Sie selbstverständlich. Sie sind teamfähig, flexibel, verantwortungsvoll und belastbar;
Eigeninitiative und Einsatzbereitschaft runden Ihr Profil ab.
Wir bieten Ihnen eine interessante und herausfordernde Tätigkeit in einem innovativen
Umfeld. Sie vertreten die Stelleninhaberin in ihrer Mutterschutz- und ggf. Elternzeit. Daher ist die Tätigkeit zunächst befristet bis 07.01.2009, eine Verlängerung bis Ende 2009/Anfang 2010 ist ggf. möglich. Die Stelle ist nicht teilzeitgeeignet.
Bewerbungen schwerbehinderter Menschen sind besonders willkommen. Schwerbehinderte
Menschen werden bei gleicher Eignung bevorzugt. Bewerbungen von Frauen werden
ausdrücklich erwünscht. Frauen werden bei gleicher Eignung, Befähigung und fachlicher
Leistung bevorzugt berücksichtigt, sofern nicht in der Person eines Mitbewerbers liegende Gründe überwiegen.
Bitte senden Sie Ihre schriftlichen Bewerbungsunterlagen bis zum 05.09.2008 an die
Geschäftsführung des Departments für Chemie, Frau Dr. Birgit Seyberlich (Greinstraße 4 - 6, 50939 Köln, birgit.seyberlich@uni-koeln.de).

Freitag, 15. August 2008

Postdoctoral position in SSNMR studies of mammalian prions

Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

Postdoctoral position in solid-state NMR studies of mammalian prions

A postdoctoral position in biomolecular solid-state NMR is available at
the Hospital for Sick Children. This position will focus on structural
characterization of oligomeric and fibrillar states of mammalian prion
proteins by solid state NMR. This work is being carried out in
collaboration with other structural and biophysical groups at the
University of Toronto. The Sharpe lab is located within the Molecular
Structure and Function Program at the Hospital for Sick Children and the
Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto, providing a
diverse and stimulating research environment. The research group is
fully equipped for cloning, mutagenesis, protein expression and
purification, with access to peptide synthesis, computational biology
facilities and full-time use of a 500 MHz spectrometer for solids MAS
and static experiments. In addition, access to the National Solid-State
900 MHz NMR facility in Ottawa is also available for this project.

Applicants should possess a recent Ph.D. (last 5 years). Experience in
protein NMR (solution or solid state) or a strong background in
amyloid/prion protein structure is a significant asset, although highly
qualified and motivated individuals with related backgrounds are invited
to apply. The start date for this position is negotiable, but is
available immediately. Interested candidates should send a CV and
contact information for 3 references to:

Dr. Simon Sharpe
Molecular Structure and Function
Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Ave,
Toronto, ON
Canada M5G 1X8
ssharpe@sickkids.ca
416-813-7852

web: http://www.sickkids.ca/SharpeLab/default.asp

PhD position in Pulsed Field Gradient NMR

PHD position in Pulsed Field Gradient NMR

A PhD position is available in PFG-NMR in the Cemagref’s NMR research group. The position will focus on the investigation of tracer diffusion in protein gel assemblies. This work is being carried out in collaboration with a biophysical group at the University of Le Mans
Cemagref’s NMR research group is one of the european leader in NMR and MRI applied to food processing. The main force of the research team lies on its multi-disciplinarity, integrating expertise in NMR and MRI relaxometry, in food engineering but also in signal and images analysis.
The research work develops by the Cemagref’s NMR/MRI group is focus on the understanding of the interaction between food processing and food structure and molecular mobility. MRI is a non intrusive technique that permits to obtain 2D and 3D images of a product and specific MRI methods have been developed within the research team to assess phase transition and porosity changes in cereal products such as bread. Based on the unique MRI facilities, coupled with dedicated devices (oven, freezers etc), the continuous changes during processing can be monitor in real time. Original results have been obtained on bread cooking, during freezing and proofing of fermented cereal products, during cheese ripening, and curd draining.
Furthermore, the team is leader in the study of molecular diffusion in food product. Several projects have been focus on water diffusion in order to quantify the effect of food composition and food structure on water mobility. A wide range of products have been studied from simple protein gel systems up to real and complex products such as cheese and microscopic compartmented system such a vegetable tissue. These research works have been extended to a more general approach focus on the effect of gel structure and porosity on molecular tracer diffusion.
The research group is equipped of two whole body MRI scanners at 0.2 T and 1.5 T, of two low field NMR spectrometers equipped with pulsed field gradient probe (4T/m). In addition access to a 500 MHz spectrometer equipped with a pulsed filed gradient probe (12T/m) is available in the Research Plate-form PRISM.
Income: about 1500 euros per month (this is the remaining income after removal of every taxes)

If you are interested please send a copy of your CV to

francois.mariette@cemagref.fr
Cemagref
CS 64427
17 avenue de Cucillé
35044 Rennes Cedex
Tel 02.23.48.21.21
Fax 02.23.48.21.15
email : francois.mariette@cemagref.fr
site web : www.rennes.cemagref.fr

Site web PRISM http://prism.univ-rennes1.fr/index.html

Donnerstag, 14. August 2008

Post-Doctoral Position Spinnovation

Reference Hyph-05: Post-Doc, Biomolecular NMR in application to metabolomics (2-3 years).

Spinnovation Analytical BV is a private Contract Research Organization located in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The company is specialized in offering analytical service and contract research to Industry carrying out intense Research & Development effort in the field of Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals/Polymers or Food Products. Its expertise and capacity are focused on NMR-based spectroscopic techniques and applications. Since its establishment in 2004, Spinnovation has established itself as a leading company on the worldwide market of NMR-based analytical services.

Spinnovation has currently an opened post-doctoral position in the field of biomolecular NMR applied to metabolomics.

Description. The project is based on a joint research initiative from several industrial (Pharmaceutical companies, analytical system supplier and service supplier) and academic parties. The project deals with the development and use of NMR-based analytical methods, in combination with LC/MS and LC/SPE, in the study of biological fluids for metabonomic applications. Spectrometric, spectroscopic, and chromatographic data will be used to establish unambiguous identification / characterization of endogenous metabolites develop profiling methods, support enrichment of existing database. For e.g., specific measurement of NMR parameters such as relaxation times will be carried out and issues related to protein/metabolite interactions will be addressed.
Spinnovation analytical platform combines state-of-the-art LC-SPE-NMR-MS methods, dedicated analytical systems and applications developed to address issues in the field of metabolomic (automation, throughput, sensitivity, dedicated database...). Spinnovation has a staff of highly skilled and experienced employees (researchers and engineers. NMR capacity is further supported by the access to an NMR facility with spectrometers operating at 500MHz, 600MHz and 800MHz and fitted with cryo-cooled probes.

Candidate profile. The candidate (m/f) will have a Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry with a speciality in bio-molecular NMR. He/she will have a significant background and expertise in NMR theory and operation (pulse programming, data acquisition, processing and troubleshooting), expertise that he/she would for instance have applied to solution NMR protein structure investigation. Additional expertise in chemometrics, metabolomics/nomics, other analytical methods such as MS, LC-MS will be valued.
The candidate should be interested in applied science and technological aspects, efficient in teamwork, have broad scientific interest, recognized organizational skills, with validated project management experience, be opened with good communication ability (oral / writing), fluent in English.

Further information and application. The position will be opened at Spinnovation, Nijmegen (The Netherlands). Salary will be discussed according to experience. Application shall be sent in English, including CV, accompanying letter and names of two reference persons that can be contacted, by email to the address:

recruitment@spinnovation.eu , mentioning the position reference ref. Hyph-05 in the subject.