<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Applications are invited for a 4-year fixed term post-doctoral research position based in the laboratories of Prof Per Bullough (<a href="http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mbb/staff/perbullough" class="">www.sheffield.ac.uk/mbb/staff/perbullough</a>) and Dr. Robert Fagan (www.<a href="http://sheffield.ac.uk/mbb/staff/robertfagan" class="">sheffield.ac.uk/mbb/staff/robertfagan</a>), and funded by the BBSRC. This project aims to characterise the structure and interactions of the essential Clostridium difficile S-layer with an innovative new type of therapeutic (Acidocin-CD) that targets the S-layer to kill this important nosocomial pathogen. The main structural technique will be cryo-electron microscopy.<br class=""><br class="">C. difficile is the most frequent cause of hospital acquired infection across Europe. This highly antibiotic resistant pathogen relies on antibiotic-mediated disruption of the gut microbiota in order to cause disease. There is an urgent clinical need for species-specific antimicrobials that kill C. difficile without further disruption to the gut microbiota. Avidocin-CDs are a promising new type of precision antimicrobial based on naturally occurring phage tail-like particles that efficiently kill C. difficile without collateral damage to the microbiota. The C. difficile cell is coated by a crystalline protein surface layer (S-layer) that mediates contact between the bacterium and its host and environment. This essential surface structure is the bacterial receptor for Avidocin-CDs. With the tools that we have developed over the last few years we are now in a unique position to study the structure of the S-layer, both alone and in complex with a prototypic Avidocin-CD.<br class=""><br class="">The successful candidate will join our multi-disciplinary BBSRC-funded collaborative project. The ideal candidate for this post will have a PhD in molecular bioscience (or equivalent experience) and extensive experience of structural biology, ideally including cryo-electron microscopy.<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">For an informal discussion about the position, please email me.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Further details can be found at </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://jobs.shef.ac.uk/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_posting_apply?PARAM=cG9zdF9pbnN0X2d1aWQ9MzMwNjJBRkQ4MDQ5MUVENzk0QjM3QjJGOEMzNzE4NzMmY2FuZF90eXBlPUVYVA==&sap-client=400&sap-language=EN&sap-accessibility=X&sap-ep-themeroot=/SAP/PUBLIC/BC/UR/uos#" class="">https://jobs.shef.ac.uk/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_posting_apply?PARAM=cG9zdF9pbnN0X2d1aWQ9MzMwNjJBRkQ4MDQ5MUVENzk0QjM3QjJGOEMzNzE4NzMmY2FuZF90eXBlPUVYVA%3d%3d&sap-client=400&sap-language=EN&sap-accessibility=X&sap-ep-themeroot=%2fSAP%2fPUBLIC%2fBC%2fUR%2fuos#</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><div class="">
<div style="orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Prof. Per A. Bullough<br class="">Krebs Institute for Biomolecular Research<br class="">Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology<br class="">University of Sheffield<br class="">Firth Court<br class="">Western Bank<br class="">Sheffield S10 2TN<br class="">United Kingdom<br class=""><br class="">Tel: +44 (0)114 222 4245<br class="">Fax: +44 (0)114 222 2800<br class="">e-mail: p.bullough@sheffield.ac.uk<br class="">http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mbb/staff/perbullough/perbullough</div><div style="orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class=""></div>
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