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2017

[Applications are now closed]

Six fellowships positions are available at ITQB NOVA for enthusiastic and highly motivated researchers.

Successful candidates will integrate the exciting and growing research program of MOSTMICRO, ITQB NOVA research unit, which focuses on the molecular, cellular and structural basis of living organisms, with emphasis on important bacterial pathogens, having as ultimate goal the improvement of human health.

The mission of the new pre-doctoral researchers will be to bring closer the two thematic lines within MOSTMICRO at ITQB NOVA, developing one of the following research projects:

1. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms involved in mutant huntingtin phosporylation, aggregation and toxicity

Supervisors: Federico Herrera, Cell Structure and Dynamics Lab, and Pedro Domingos, Cell Signaling in Drosophila Lab

 

2. Rethinking Antifungal Azoles: New Tricks for Old Drugs

Invasive fungal diseases affect more than two million people worldwide and account for more deaths annually than tuberculosis or malaria. There is as such an urgent need to obtain new drugs that are efficient, selective and able to overcome existing resistance mechanisms. This research project combines the synthesis of tailored azole compounds and the examination of their antifungal activity, focusing in resistance pathways commonly known for azoles. 

Supervisors:Ana Petronilho, Bioorganometallic Chemistry Lab, and Catarina Pimentel and Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada, Genomics and Stress Lab

 

3. Kicking the BolA: Bridging stress to metabolomics to combat pathogenic bacteria

Study the effect of levels of expression of transcription factor BolA in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and in Candida albicans at metabolomic level, using NMR.

Supervisors: Cecilia Arraiano, Control of gene expression Lab, and Helena Santos, Cell Physiology and NMR Lab

 

4. Exploring energetic metabolism of Staphylococcus aureus at molecular and cellular levels

The project aims to investigate the energetic metabolism of Staphylococcus aureus, an human opportunistic pathogen. Specifically, the proposal will study three respiratory enzymes, for which we aim at understanding i) when and under which conditions are the target enzymes expressed, ii) the effect/phenotype of the respective knockout mutants and iii) how and when the enzymes localize in the cell membrane. The study involves a multidisciplinary approach using molecular biology and protein biochemistry and biophysics methodologies, including super-resolution microscopy.

Supervisors: Manuela M. Pereira, Biological Energy Transduction Lab, and Mariana G. Pinho, Bacterial Cell Biology Lab

 

5. Determinants of the material properties of Gram-positive peptidoglycan, explored by coarse-grain molecular dynamics

At the Multiscale Modeling Lab the fellow will develop a coarse-grain molecular dynamics model of the Gram-positive cell wall peptidoglycan. This model will be used to gain insight on the material properties of the cell walls of different pathogens. The model, and conclusions extracted therefrom, will be validated at the Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, and Bacterial Cell Biology Labs, using different pathogens and appropriate imaging techniques. Further collaboration outside the ITQB NOVA is planned for a more complete validation of the model.

Supervisors: Manuel N. Melo, Multiscale Modeling Lab, Sérgio R. Filipe, Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis Lab, and Mariana Pinho, Bacterial Cell Biology Lab

 

6. Bacterial di-iron proteins as cell repair systems

Iron sulfur (FeS) centers are one of the most important prosthetic groups that, because of their chemical versatility, provide a large number of proteins with functions that are essential for organisms in all domains of life. However, FeS centers are susceptible to partial or total destruction by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) generated by the human immune system during the infectious process. In this work, the candidate will be involved in the mutation, expression, biochemical and structural characterization of proteins involved in the repair of FeS centers.

Supervisors: Lígia M. Saraiva, Molecular Mechanisms of Pathogen Resistance Lab, and Pedro Matias and Celia Romão, Industry and Medicine Applied Crystallography Lab