Postdoctoral Researcher - UOD1886

Division of Genome Integrity (DGI):

We study genome integrity in the context of health and disease, within the School of Life Sciences of the University of Dundee. Maintaining genome integrity is one of the greatest challenges for all living creatures on Earth, in the face of constant attack from many endogenous and exogenous sources of DNA damage. We study molecular mechanisms that preserve genome integrity, support cell proliferation, trigger senescence and maintain cell identity. Defects in such mechanisms lead to a range of human diseases and are central to the development, evolution and treatment of human cancer.

Our values:

• We are an inclusive and welcoming community of scientists who value collaboration, diversity of all kinds, and mutual respect for everyone.
• We aim to undertake high quality and innovative research that addresses clear questions and will stand the test of time.
• We expect all members of our division to be open in sharing their data, reagents, and protocols with each other and with the wider scientific community.
• We are committed to publishing in open-access journals and aim to be as transparent as possible about our methods and data, to help others to understand and build on our work.
• We recognise the environmental impact of our work and aim to meet our commitments, together with the rest of society, to address the climate and biodiversity crises that we face.

School of Life Sciences (SLS):

DGI is based within the School of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, a world-class academic institution with a reputation for the excellence of its research, its high-quality teaching and student experience, and the strong impact of its activities outside academia. With 900 staff from over 40 countries worldwide, the School provides a dynamic, multi­ national, collegiate and diverse environment with state-of-the-art laboratory, technology and teaching facilities.

We are recruiting for an exceptional individual to join us as a postdoctoral fellow within the group of Professor Karim Labib, to study pathways that preserve genome integrity in mammalian cells during replication stress and mitosis. This is a fixed-term appointment for 3 years.

In our recent work (Fujisawa et al, 2024, doi.org/10.1101I2024.12.01.626218; Villa et al, 2024, doi.org/10.1101I2024.09.03.610971) we have found that the TTF2 ATPase controls mitotic processing of sites of incomplete DNA replication by the TRAIP ubiquitin ligase, whereas the USP37 deubiquitylase protects cells against DNA replication stress by counteracting both TRAIP and the cullin ubiquitin ligase CUL2LRRl. In our future work, we want to explore the mechanism of action of TTF2, TRAIP and USP37, their key substrates, and their relation to other pathways that preserve genome integrity during the mammalian cell cycle.

Candidates should have a strong background in related areas, such as protein biochemistry, mammalian cell biology, structural biology, etc.

Your priorities will include:

• Undertaking research to investigate molecular mechanisms and regulation of chromosome replication.
• Project development and implementation, including experimental design; identification and development of a broad range of techniques necessary to achieve the research.
• Working collaboratively and assisting with the training of PhD students and other lab members.
• Presenting scientific work at internal and external meetings. Contributing to the preparation of research for publication.

Who we’re looking for:

• PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry or related discipline with a strong academic track record including first-author publication(s).
• Strong interest in mechanisms of chromosome replication and genome integrity, and how disruptions of these mechanisms are linked to human disease.
• Strong background in biochemistry, cell biology and/or genetics.
• Strong ability to work independently but with excellent ability to work in a team, and an open and collaborative approach to science.
• Excellent communication skills and knowledge of the English language are essential.

We are one of the UK's leading universities, internationally recognised for our expertise across a range of disciplines and research breakthroughs in multiple areas, including science, medicine and engineering. Through our research, we aim to transform lives, locally and globally, which we do as a community of staff, students and alumni.

For further information about this position please contact Karim Labib at kpmlabib@dundee.ac.uk. To find out more about DGI please visit: www.dundee.ac.uk/life-sciences/genome-integrity.

As an internationally diverse institution, we welcome job applicants from all countries and nationalities. The School of Life Sciences is proud to employ staff from over 40 different nations. The diversity of our staff and students helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for undergraduate, postgraduate and distance learning. Family friendly policies, staff networks for BME, Disabled and LGBT staff, membership of Athena SWAN, the ECU Race Equality Charter and Stonewall as we// a full range of disability services, create an enjoyable and inclusive place to work.