[ccp4bb] Fully funded PhD positions in Evolutionary Biochemistry

[Georg Hochberg <georg.hochberg@MPI-MARBURG.MPG.DE>]

Dear CCP4ers,

The Hochberg lab is a new free floater group at the Max Planck  
Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and affiliated with  
the Chemistry Department of Marburg University. The group studies the  
evolution of protein complexes at the interface between physical  
biochemistry and evolutionary biology.

We are looking for highly self-motivated PhD students who are willing  
to tackle an interdisciplinary research program and join our group on  
fully funded positions to start as early as November 2019. For a  
description of the research we do please read below or alternatively  
here: https://www.mpi-marburg.mpg.de/hochberg

The majority of proteins associate into higher-order complexes. They  
range from the simple - containing only a few genetically identical  
subunits – to the baroquely elaborate – containing dozens of  
genetically different subunits in precise arrangements. How and why  
complexes evolve and change in evolutionary history is largely  
unknown, but directly relates to major questions in evolutionary  
biology: Does biological complexity arise through many incremental  
steps, or through rare but drastic jumps? And is it always driven by  
natural selection for some beneficial function, or does blind chance  
play a role in creating and maintaining this complexity? Our group  
uses ancestral sequence reconstruction to resurrect ancient complexes  
that last existed hundreds of millions of years ago. By experimentally  
characterizing these ancient proteins using state-of-the-art mass  
spectrometry and high-throughput techniques, we will unravel the  
interplay of history, chance, and natural selection in producing the  
complexity that exists today.

Experience in evolutionary biology is not necessary, but a sincere  
interest and desire to learn are indispensable. Practical experience  
in biochemistry is welcome. Possible projects include charactering the  
complete set of interactions among all extant and ancestral members of  
a protein family to understand how and why interactions change over  
time; experimentally quantifying the rate at which random chance  
events produced stable protein complexes in evolutionary history; and  
investigating to what degree increases in the complexity of protein  
assemblies are reversible in evolutionary history.

This is a rare chance for young scientists to participate in shaping  
the research program of an emerging group. You will join a thriving  
scientific community at one of Germany’s famous Max Planck Institutes.  
Marburg itself is a vibrant and beautiful medieval university town  
about an hour north of Frankfurt with all the necessities of student  
life. Interested candidates should send a brief introduction to  
themselves as well a CV to georg.hochberg@mpi-marburg.mpg.de to  
express interest.

All the best,
Georg


--
Georg Hochberg
Group Leader
Evolutionary Biochemistry Group
Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology

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