Postdoctoral Position in Computational Structural Biology University of Basel

The Basel region is a vibrant and stimulating life science ecosystem, with outstanding academic research institutions and a strong life science industry presence. The Biozentrum of the University of Basel is an interdisciplinary institute with 30 research groups exploring how molecules and cells create life. The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics is a world renowned institution creating, maintaining and disseminating a large portfolio of top-quality core bioinformatics services and resources, such as databases and software.

Two Postdoctoral Researcher positions are available in the group of Prof. Torsten Schwede at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel & SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics. We are looking for skilled and enthusiastic scientists in the field of computational structural biology with experience in molecular modelling or other areas of protein bioinformatics. In our group we focus on the development of methods and algorithms to model and analyse 3D protein structures and their molecular properties, and apply these techniques to better understand processes in molecular biology. Within the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, our group develops SWISS-MODEL (https://swissmodel.expasy.org), a widely used web-based platform for generating high-accuracy 3D models of protein structures and complexes for application in life sciences.

Postdoctoral Researcher

• Employer: University of Basel or SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
• Start date: As soon as possible
• Employment: 80-100%

Your position

As part of the SWISS-MODEL team, you will be working on developing computational approaches for modelling protein structures and protein-ligand interactions, with special focus on using homology models in biomedical research such as structure-based drug discovery. We are aiming to fill two positions, one focussing on modelling protein sequence variations, and one with emphasis on protein-ligand interactions. Both positions are embedded in EC H2020 projects "Exscalate4Cov" and "EuroHPC LIGATE" aiming to develop fast and reliable computational drug discovery approaches for pandemic situations such as COVID-19. Your responsibilities will include:

• Scientific research in computational structural biology with focus on modelling protein-ligand interactions and/or modelling protein sequence variations;
• Active collaboration with local and international groups;
• Guide the scientific development of protein structure prediction methods in the group;
• Write and/or assist in the preparation of applications for competitive research grants;
• Train and supervise graduate and undergraduate students as appropriate;

Your profile

• PhD in structural bioinformatics, computational chemistry, computational biology, or related disciplines;
• Expertise in computational modelling demonstrated by a strong publication record;
• Experience and interest in modern data analytics techniques and artificial intelligence methods / ML would be highly appreciated
• Excellent communication skills (English)
• Efficient in collaborative team work (e.g. with junior scientists and software developers)
• Self-motivation, drive and ability to define new research directions;
• Ability to write competitive grant proposals for scientific projects;