The Research Training Group (RTG) “Complex Scenarios of Light Control (CLiC)” at the Goethe University Frankfurt offers
4 PhD Positions ("wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter", E13 TV-G-U-65 %)
for a maximum of three years starting November 1st 2014.
This RTG is dedicated to educating PhD students in the synthetic realization, theoretical description, photochemical characterization and biomolecular application of photolabile protecting strategies for the control of chemical and biological processes with light.
Within CLiC we will develop complex uncaging strategies including novel irradiation strategies, wavelength-selective addressability of multiple caging groups and methods for two-photon uncaging with 3D spatial resolution. We will explore new scenarios of light-control with special foci on time-resolved NMR spectroscopy in solution and in solid-state and advanced light microscopy.
The PhD Positions are offered for the following projects:
A1.1 - Simulation and optimization of VIPER uncaging
This PhD thesis will systematically contribute to a cycle of theoretical prediction, spectroscopic investigation and synthesis, in order to optimize novel uncaging strategies. In particular, the PhD student will establish a simulation protocol for the Vibrationally Promoted Electronic Resonance
(VIPER) experiment pioneered by Bredenbeck and collaborators (also part of the CLiC project) that potentially offers an ideal tool for orthogonal uncaging, due to highly selective excitation in the mid-IR range followed by a UV-Vis pulse.
B4.3 - 3D organization and manipulation of proteins by light
Aim of this PhD project is to establish the light-triggered clustering of receptors based on our newly established PA-trisNTA. The PhD student will work in a transdisciplinary approach reaching from organic synthesis, chemical biology, protein biochemistry into cell biology. She/he will focus on the spatiotemporal in-situ assembly of receptors in 3D scaffolds, giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV), solid supported membranes as well as the plasma membrane of living cells. State-of-the-art techniques, e.g. single-particle tracking analysis, super resolution microscopy and two-photon laser lithography will be employed to study receptor clustering at the molecular level. Receptor binding regions as well as the iterative binding and sequential receptor oligomerization will be examined by light-triggered protein assembly.
B5.1 - Caged fluorophores for single-molecule super-resolution microscopy
The aim of this thesis is to investigate the photophysical properties of novel caged fluorophores, and to apply these fluorophores for single-molecule super-resolution imaging (according to the (d)STORM/(F)PALM concepts). This will include on the one hand a photophysical characterization of the caged fluorophores, i.e. photoactivation kinetics, photostability and brightness. On the other hand, these fluorophores will be evaluated at the single-molecule level, and ultimately on biological model structures.
B5.2 - Complex RNA folding pathways studied with single-molecule FRET
The aim of this thesis is to study the folding pathways of RNA ribozymes using single-molecule FRET in solution and on molecules immobilized on surfaces. The focus is to analyze complex folding pathways as they are typically found in large RNA molecules with enzymatic activity. In order to extract the set of kinetic rates of multiple (follow-up) folding and rearrangement reactions that are typically inaccessible by conventional single-molecule FRET experiments, photo-cages will be introduced in the RNA sequence that allow for trapping specific states.
Application procedure:
The application form and further information about the application procedure and all scientific projects can be found on http://clic.uni-frankfurt.de. Please send the required documents (see homepage) via e-mail until 19th September 2014 to clic@uni-frankfurt.de
Contact:
Goethe Universität Frankfurt
Institut für Organische Chemie u. Chemische Biologie
Heike Köhler
Max-von-Laue-Str. 7
Frankfurt/Main, Hessen 60438
Germany
Phone: 069-798-42512
Email:clicuni-frankfurt.de
uni-frankfurt.de
