Position to be opened in Bordeaux, France at the Assistant / Associate Professor level ("Maitre de Conferences"). NMR of nucleic acids.
University of Bordeaux 2 – INSERM "Chaire Université – Organismes"
French citizens are expected to be registered on "listes de qualification". Foreigners may possibly skip this step; in that case their resume will first be evaluated by the Scientific board of the University. Please enquire. Short-listed candidates will be interviewed in Spring 2010 and are expected to start in Fall 2010.
Laboratory: INSERM U869 Director: Dr. J.J. Toulmé, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II INSERM U869, jean-jacques.toulme@bordeaux.inserm.fr (http://www.iecb.u-bordeaux.fr/arna_u869/acceuil.php)
The candidate will be located in the "European Institute of Chemistry and Biology (IECB)": http://www.iecb.u-bordeaux.fr/index.php?lang=en and hosted in the team of Dr. J.L. Mergny (jean-louis.mergny@inserm.fr)
Teaching Profile: Bioorganic Chemistry. Teaching will have to be in French at the Licence level for students in Life Sciences. A transition period may be negociated if necessary.
Research profile: J.J. Toulmé & J.L. Mergny are leaders in the fields of aptamer selection and unusual nucleic acids conformations, respectively. Solving the structure of a number of relevant sequences for these studies would be of great interest. An NMR platform is available in the institute, with 800 and 700 MHz apparatus. Expertise in NMR of biomolecules - and especially nucleic acids - is a prerequisite. Minimum PhD + at least 3-5 years post doctoral experience, strong publication record.
5 recent publications:
Lim, K.W. Alberti, P., Guédin, A., Lacroix, L., Riou, J.F., Royle, N., Mergny, J.L. & Phan, A.T. (2009) Sequence variant (CTAGGG)n in the human telomere favors a G-quadruplex structure containing a G•C•G•C tetrad. Nucleic Acids Res. 37, 6239-6248.
Monchaud, D., Yang, P., Lacroix, L.,Teulade-Fichou, M.P. & Mergny, J.L. (2008) A Metal-Mediated Conformational Switch That Controls G-Quadruplex Binding Affinity. Angew. Chem. Int Ed. 47, 4858-4861.
Van Melckebeke, H., Devany, M., Di Primo, C., Beaurain, F., Toulmé, J.J., Bryce, D.L. and Boisbouvier, J. (2008) Liquid-crystal NMR structure of HIV TAR RNA bound to its SELEX RNA aptamer reveals the origins of the high stability of the complex. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 105, 9210-9215.
De Cian, A., Cristofari, G., Reichenbach, P., Delemos, E., Monchaud, D., Teulade-Fichou, M.P., Shin-ya, K., Lacroix, L., Lingner, J. & Mergny, J.L. (2007) Reevaluation of telomerase inhibition by quadruplex ligands and their mechanisms of action. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 104, 17347-17352.
Lebars, I., Richard, T., Di Primo, C. and Toulmé, J.J. (2007) NMR structure of a kissing complex formed between the TAR RNA element of HIV-1 and a LNA-modified aptamer. Nucleic Acids Res., 35, 6103-6114
