[3dem] Post-doctoral position in CBS, France

[patrick bron]

Dear all

I would appreciate if you could forward the included announcement to  
people you know that may be interested.
  With best regards,

Patrick Bron


Post-Doctoral position at the CBS of Montpellier, France.

A two years post-doctoral position starting from January 2008 is  
available at the CBS (Center of Structural Biochemistry) of  
Montpellier (France). The candidate will work on the structural  
characterization of Siphoviridae using cryo-electron microscopy,  
image reconstruction and biophysical assays.
More than 95 % of the bacterial viruses (bacteriophages or phages)  
have a double-stranded DNA genome and a tail attached to the portal  
vertex of the capsid. The tail is responsible for specific  
recognition of the bacterium surface and for a piercing the bacterial  
envelope allowing transfer of the genome to the host cell cytoplasm.  
Most phages have a long (~150 nm) non-contractile tail  
(Siphoviridae). The tail is composed of an adsorption apparatus  
connected by a large helïcoidal tube to the capsid. Phage  
irreversible adsorption to bacterial surface receptors generates a  
signal transmitted along the tail that triggers DNA release. The  
first step of Gram+ bacteria infection by Siphoviridae involves  
interactions between the receptor binding protein, RBP, and a  
specific receptor distributed on the surface of the cell Wall. The  
RBP is localized at the tip of the phage's tail, in a tail tip, or in  
a more complex structure, the baseplate. Very little is known about  
infection of Gram+ bacteria by Siphoviridae despite the abundance and  
economical impact of these phages.
Our aim is to investigate the structure of Siphoviridae tails and to  
characterize the function of their individual components in infection.
This project funded by the ANR (French Research Agency) results from  
the collaboration of three groups: Dr Christian Cambillau (AFMB,  
Marseille), Dr Paolo Tavares (VMS, Gif sur Yvette), and Dr Patrick  
Bron (CBS, Montpellier).
This work will be carried out notably in close collaboration with the  
Group of Dr Christian Cambillau, which determines the 3D structures  
of individual proteins and oligo-complexes by X-ray diffraction. In  
this context, crystallographic structures will be fitted into the  
cryo-EM electron density maps to produce structures at pseudo atomic- 
resolution. Moreover, differences between the cryo-EM apo-structures  
and those obtained in complex with the receptor will provide  
information on the signal transduction pathway for portal vertex  
opening.

The CBS is a research center, offering excellent facilities in NMR, X- 
ray crystallography, AFM, electron microscopy, optical and  
fluorescent microscopies, biophysics and biochemistry (www.cbs.cnrs.fr).
We are fully equipped for cryo-electron microscopy and image  
processing approaches. We have a JEOL 2200FS (200kV FEG with an in- 
column energy filter) equipped with a 4kx4k CCD camera, vitrobot and  
all equipments required for specimen preparation and image analysis,  
notably a linux computer cluster.

Candidates should have in interest in structural biology and  
virology. Background experience of cryo-electron microscopy and three- 
dimensional image processing of single particles is highly desirable  
but not required.

Interested individuals should contact Dr. Patrick Bron
(patrick.bron at cbs.cnrs.fr) and include a cover letter describing  
research experience and interests, curriculum vitae, and names and  
contact information for references.


Patrick Bron, PhD
Centre de Biochimie Structurale
Département "Structure, Cancer et Virulence"
INSERM U554 / CNRS UMR5048
29 rue de Navacelles
34090 Montpellier, France
Phone: 33 4 67 41 77 29
Fax: 33 4 67 41 79 13
http://www.cbs.cnrs.fr




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