Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dr Purba Mukherjee invites applications from motivated individuals for a PDRA position to join the Department of Chemistry (YSBL) at the University of York. This full-time role focuses on biocatalysis and is funded by EPSRC. The initial appointment is for 24 months, with the possibility of an extension.

You will be joining one of UoY’s largest and most successful departments. Home to 85 postdoctoral experts conducting world-class research, the Department of Chemistry – ranked among top 10 in REF2021 – offers a vibrant and supportive community. We are proud of our Athena Swan Gold Award (since 2007), reflecting our dedication to creating an environment where you can truly excel and make your mark.

Sustainable nucleic acids synthesis is a major thrust area within the UK and around the world. The Mukherjee group is focused on developing enzymatic alternatives to address the manufacturing challenges faced in producing oligonucleotides and their bioconjugates. You will work on building a biocatalytic cascade for peptide-oligonucleotide conjugate (POC) synthesis. You will:

• design and generate a library of designer nucleic-acid modifying enzymes for the cascade (building on initial discoveries in our group),
• apply one or more biophysical methods, such as microscale thermophoresis, ITC, fluorescence polarisation, single-molecule FRET, to characterise assembly dynamics, and
• combine high-throughput biochemical assays with MS approaches to assess synthesised POCs and optimise cascade efficacy.

You will also have the opportunity to gain supervisory skills by supporting Masters and PhD students, where necessary within the group.

The postholder should have a PhD (or be about to be awarded a PhD) in biocatalysis, biochemistry, bioengineering or equivalent experience. You are expected to:

• have hands-on experience of enzyme cascades and/or nucleic acid-modifying enzymes,
• have hands-on experience in generating a protein library and protein purification,
• be proficient in biophysical (ITC, MST etc) and biochemical (kinetics) methods of enzyme analysis,
• have a working knowledge of mass spectrometry (LC-MS, MALDI) for nucleic acids or proteins,
• be competent at working both independently and collaboratively,
• have excellent written and oral scientific communication skills with a track record for publication(s) and conference presentation(s), and
• be committed to values of equality, diversity and inclusion.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Purba Mukherjee, email purba.mukherjee@york.ac.uk. The University strives to be diverse and inclusive – a place where we can ALL be ourselves. We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff.