Post-doctoral opportunities

Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Fully funded post-doctoral positions are available immediately in the laboratory of Dr. David L. Jakeman

A position is available in the area of protein engineering and involves the directed evolution of enzymes involved in sugar nucleotide biosynthesis. Qualified applicants will have demonstrated skills and experience in protein engineering and assay development.

A second position is available in the area of carbohydrate synthesis and involves the synthesis of novel carbohydrate derived phosphonate inhibitors of enzymes involved in bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. Qualified applicants will have demonstrated skills and expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and extensive NMR spectroscopy know-how.

Halifax is a multicultural city of 350,000 people offering a wide variety of amenities and opportunities. Dalhousie University is the premier university in Atlantic Canada.

Outstanding candidates will be considered for Killam post-doctoral fellowships.

Interested applicants should contact Dr. Jakeman, complete the following questions and send responses together with a current curriculum vitae. Applicants should arrange for two referees to answer the referees questions below. Responses should be sent to Dr. Jakeman directly.

Each applicant should provide responses to the following five questions:

1. Please provide a specific example where you had to devise and evaluate different synthetic routes to a specific synthetic target.

2. What do you understand by the term SN2?

3. How would you devise an assay to measure production of deoxythymidine diphosphoglucose produced by an enzymatic reaction consisting of condensing glucose 1-phosphate and deoxythymidine triphosphate?

4. How would you determine binding interactions between an enzyme and its substrate glucose-1-phosphate to determine which particular glucose-1-phosphate atoms are involved in interacting with the enzyme.

5. Briefly explain how you would evolve an enzyme to change substrate specificity.

6. What do you understand by the term k_cat / K_m.

Referees should address each of these following points in letters of reference:

1. The applicant’s level of competence in practical synthetic organic chemistry and ability to collect and analyze publication quality data

2. The applicant’s abilities to solve, trouble-shoot and overcome synthetic problems

3. The applicant’s ability to interact with her peers in the laboratory and his ability to train others

4. The applicant’s ability to present research data to others

5. The applicant’s ability to write-up research findings in preliminary format ready for publication

6. What hours did the applicant generally work in your laboratory

7. In comparison to the last five trainees at their level, where does the applicant rank (first-fifth)?

8. The applicant’s ability to learn new techniques and perform independent research without day-to-day supervision