Postdoctoral Positions in Structural Biology of Bacterial Toxins (FIRST TEAM FENG)

Offer Description:

The Structural Biology Laboratory at the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk (IFB UG & MUG), Poland, is recruiting motivated postdoctoral researchers to join the FIRST TEAM FENG project entitled “Innovative application of bacterial toxins for enhanced protein production”. The project is led by Dr. Grzegorz Grabe and is funded by the Foundation for Polish Science within the FIRST TEAM programme and co-financed by the European Union under the FENG Programme (European Funds for Smart Economy 2021–2027).

Short description of the project: 

Bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems are stress response elements that control bacterial growth to promote cell survival. They encode non-secreted toxins targeting essential cellular processes and antitoxins that counteract their cognate toxins by forming neutralizing complexes. Under stress, the toxin-antitoxin complex can dissociate, freeing the toxin to inhibit vital biological processes, including translation. Our group has recently discovered a toxin variant with the opposite activity, in which translation is enhanced rather than inhibited. This unique property positions it as a promising candidate for applications in the biotechnology industry to maximize protein production. The aim of this project is to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying this translation enhancement through transcriptional, ribosomal, and structural characterization. Once characterized and optimized for maximal translation enhancement, the project will involve scaling-up and downstream experiments to demonstrate its utility in the biotechnology industry.

Candidate responsibilities: 

• Designing, conducting, and documenting experimental work in accordance with good scientific practice, under the supervision of the Principal Investigator.
• Analyzing and interpreting data; preparing reports, manuscripts, and presentations for group  meetings, national, and international conferences.
• Utilization of next-generation sequencing techniques to characterize gene expression, translation dynamics, and RNA-protein interactions associated with the toxin enhancer variant.
• Applying X-ray crystallography and/or cryo-electron microscopy, combined with protein engineering, to elucidate the toxin’s structure–function relationship and optimize its translation-enhancing activity for downstream scale-up experiments.
• Collaborating with project partners, including the laboratory of Prof. Charlotte Michaux (University of Rennes, France) and Acteryon company  (Gdansk, Poland).
• Contributing actively to the efficient functioning of the lab, including administrative and organizational tasks.
• Providing help and supervision to junior members of the group (PhD and MSc students).

Candidate requirements: 

• PhD in a relevant area (biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, chemistry, structural biology) awarded (or to be awarded before the starting date) no earlier than seven years before the start date of employment.
• Documented record of peer-reviewed publications in a relevant area,
• Experience in protein expression, purification, and biochemistry assays,
• Experience in structural biology – experience in protein crystallography and/or cryo-EM would be advantageous,
• Experience in work with bacterial ribosomes would also be advantageous,
• Very good command of English as well as team-work and communication skills.

We offer:

• Full-time position, fixed-term contract up to 4 years, initially signed for 12 months,
• Remuneration/month: ~13.000 PLN gross/month,
• Participation in an ambitious interdisciplinary project,
• Work in an excellent scientific and international environment,
• Access to the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities,
• Participation in courses and conferences,
• Medical package and social benefits.

How to apply:

Please submit your application electronically to grzegorz.grabe@ug.edu.pl specifying “FENG_Postdoc” in the email subject line.

Applications must be submitted in English and should contain:

1. CV, documenting experience and scientific achievements (publications, awards, distinctions, participation in conferences and internships, etc.).

2. A cover letter outlining your motivation to join the project.

3. Contact details of at least two referees, including one of your supervisors.

4. Copy of the PhD degree diploma.

Please include the following statement in your application: “I hereby give consent for my personal data included in my application to be processed for the purposes of the recruitment process in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (General Data Protection Regulation).”

Recruitment timeline:·        

Application deadline:                                   14th December 2025

Interviews for selected candidates:      22–24th December 2025 

Only selected candidates will be invited to an interview, which will be conducted in English.

Interview details will be sent by email. Successful candidates will be selected by a committee chaired by Dr. Grzegorz Grabe. The competition may close early if no suitable candidate who fulfills the requirements is found. Informal enquiries can be directed via email to: grzegorz.grabe@ug.edu.pl