1 PhD position in biochemistry/molecular biology in Netherlands | University of Amsterdam (UvA)

The Dutch Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), granted a project titled 'Spatio-temporal patterns of membrane protein activity'. In this context we are seeking a technician and a PhD candidate with a background in biochemistry and molecular biology.

The PhD candidate will work together with a technician (see vacancy 15-082)

The project is part of a FOM program with partner research groups at the University of Amsterdam, AMOLF, Delft University and the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Dortmund/Germany. The program aims to reconstitute a living membrane from scratch: i.e. to make a self-assembling dynamic biomembrane structure from isolated components (lipids and proteins). This fundamental synthetic biology/biophysics program ultimately aims to understand the dynamic selforganization and dynamical design principles of biomembranes and cells. Our partner labs in the program will integrate a protein synthesis factory, a cytoskeleton module and a membrane fusion/fission module into the system supported by spatiotemporal modelling. The contribution of the Molecular Cytology/SILS/UvA group is to integrate a protein signalling module in the membrane system. To this end we will produce pure (parts of) signalling proteins and construct quantitative fluorescent biosensors to report on the signalling status and incorporate these into artificial biomembranes. Using fluorescence microscopy techniques and spectroscopic analysis we will quantify the spatial and temporal activity of the signalling proteins. We are looking for a PhD candidate (period of 4 years) to assemble the biomembrane, to integrate the signalling module and to quantify the signalling protein activities within the artificial membranes.

Requirements

PhD-candidates should have a Master’s degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and/or Biophysics (or equivalent), have excellent communication skills and be highly motivated to conduct fundamental scientific research in a team of enthusiastic scientists. Experience with fluorescence microscopy, protein engineering and reconstituted systems/microfluidics is a plus. The PhD-candidates should also have an open mind, have interest in cross-discipline collaborations (especially biophysics) and secondments for longer periods of time in one of the partner labs. Candidates lacking passion for scientific research will not be considered.

Conditions of employment

Although the PhD-candidate will work full-time at the University of Amsterdam, he/she will be appointed with FOM. When fulfilling a PhD position at the FOM Foundation, you will get the status of junior scientist.

You will have an employee status and can participate in all the employee benefits FOM offers. You will get a contract for four years. Your salary will be up to a maximum of €2,718 euro gross per month in the last year. The salary is supplemented with a holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.33%.

You are supposed to have a thesis finished at the end of your four year term with FOM. A training programme is part of the agreement. You and your supervisor will make up a plan for the additional education and supervising that you specifically need. This plan also defines which teaching activities you will be responsible for (up to a maximum of 10% of your time). The conditions of employment of the FOM-foundation are laid down in the Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres (CAO-Onderzoekinstellingen'), more detailed information is available at this website under Personeelsinformatie (in Dutch) or under Personnel (in English). General information about working at FOM can be found in the English part of this website under Personnel. The 'FOM job interview code' applies to this position.

Organisation

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Department

Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS)

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) of the University of Amsterdam is one of the loargest institutes of the Faculty of Science. Its approximately 250 scientists and staff members work in 15 research groups that perform excellent research centered on three themes:

• Cell & Sytems Biology;
• Neurosciences, and
• Molecular Life Sciences.

The research group Molecular Cytology investigates the spatial and temporal organization of biomolecular function of cells and cells within tissues (see also the Van Leeuwenhoek Centre for Advanced Microscopy (LCAM).