Job Information
- Organisation/Company: The International Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines Polish Academy of Sciences
Offer Description
The International Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines (IMol PAS) is an international research institute in Warsaw working at the intersection of biology, biotechnology, bioinformatics, biophysics, and medicine. We are recruiting a PhD student to join the newly established Goradia Lab and work on the SONATA Bis-15 project funded by the National Science Centre (NCN).
Currently, IMol is seeking a candidate for the position of PhD student in Warsaw, Poland, to implement the project "Molecular Mechanism of CtBP corepressor activity inactivation by RAI2-induced CtBP polymerization", funded by the National Science Centre.
Group Leader: Dr. Nishit Goradia
About the Goradia Lab
The Goradia Lab investigates how higher-order protein assemblies regulate transcription, chromatin organization, and cell fate. We combine molecular and cellular biology with biochemistry, quantitative imaging, and functional genomics to uncover fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation and their dysregulation in cancer. Our research seeks to understand how the spatial organization of transcriptional regulators shapes gene expression and cell identity.
Project title: Molecular Mechanism of CtBP corepressor activity inactivation by RAI2-induced CtBP polymerization
Research Project
About the Project
How transcriptional corepressors organize within the nucleus to regulate gene expression remains one of the fundamental unanswered questions in molecular biology. Our recent work, published in Nature Communications (2024), uncovered a previously unrecognized mechanism in which the tumour suppressor Retinoic Acid-Induced 2 (RAI2) induces higher-order polymerization of the transcriptional corepressor Carboxy-terminal binding protein (CtBP), driving the formation of nuclear assemblies that modulate transcriptional repression. This discovery provides the conceptual and experimental foundation for the SONATA Bis project and raises fundamental questions about how supramolecular protein assemblies regulate gene expression and cell identity.
Building on this discovery, the SONATA Bis project aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms by which RAI2-induced CtBP polymerization modulates CtBP-mediated transcriptional repression and reorganizes transcriptional corepressor complexes. By integrating molecular biology, cell biology, quantitative microscopy, biochemistry, proteomics, and functional genomics, we seek to understand how higher-order protein assemblies regulate gene expression in mammalian cells and how disruption of these mechanisms contributes to cancer.
The SONATA Bis project encompasses three interconnected research directions:
- Determine how RAI2-induced polymerization remodels CtBP-containing transcriptional corepressor complexes.
- Define the spatial organization and dynamics of CtBP polymer assemblies within the cell nucleus.
- Determine how CtBP polymerization influences chromatin regulation and transcriptional programs.
Your Role
The PhD student will develop an independent research project within the broader SONATA Bis programme, focusing on the formation, spatial organization, and molecular properties of RAI2-induced CtBP assemblies. Working closely with the postdoctoral researcher and collaborators, the student will combine mammalian cell biology, molecular biology, quantitative fluorescence imaging, and biochemistry to uncover how CtBP polymerization regulates transcriptional repression.
The project will involve generating and characterizing engineered mammalian cell models, investigating CtBP assemblies using advanced fluorescence microscopy and complementary biochemical approaches, and examining how perturbation of CtBP polymerization influences selected transcriptional outputs. The student will design and perform experiments, participate in scientific discussions, contribute to data interpretation, and assist in the preparation of scientific publications.
In addition, the student will have opportunities to collaborate with experts in advanced microscopy, integrating quantitative imaging approaches where appropriate to address the project's biological questions. Through close interaction with the multidisciplinary research team, the student will gain exposure to proteomic and functional genomic approaches and learn how these complementary methodologies are integrated to investigate mechanisms of transcriptional regulation.
Selected publication underpinning the project
Goradia N. et al. (2024). Master corepressor inactivation through multivalent SLiM-induced polymerization mediated by the oncogene suppressor RAI2. Nature Communications 15, 5259. (co-first author)
We are looking for
Essential
- MSc (or equivalent) in molecular biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, cell biology, cancer biology, or a related life science discipline
- Strong background in molecular biology and cell biology
- Hands-on experience with standard molecular biology techniques (e.g. PCR, molecular cloning, mammalian cell culture, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, fluorescence microscopy)
- Excellent written and spoken English
- A strong scientific track record relative to career stage
- Strong motivation for scientific research and curiosity to address fundamental biological questions
- Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary research team
Desirable
- Experience with mammalian cell culture
- Experience with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing
- Experience with confocal microscopy and quantitative image analysis
- Experience with protein biochemistry or protein interaction assays
- Familiarity with transcriptional regulation, chromatin biology, cancer biology, or higher-order protein assemblies
- Experience with transcriptomic or proteomic methods is an advantage but not required
We offer
- Full-time employment contract for up to 48 months
- Salary of ~6,300 PLN gross/month
- Expected start date: 1 October 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter)
- An opportunity to join a newly established and ambitious research group at IMol PAS
- Close scientific mentoring and support for career development
- Comprehensive training in molecular biology, mammalian cell biology, genome engineering, protein biochemistry, and quantitative fluorescence imaging
- The successful candidate will benefit from interdisciplinary training spanning molecular and cell biology, quantitative imaging, protein biochemistry, and the integration of proteomic and functional genomic approaches within a highly collaborative research environment
- Opportunities to collaborate with internationally recognized imaging experts at the EMBL Imaging Centre (Heidelberg) and the Microscopy Core Facility at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), gaining exposure to advanced fluorescence and super-resolution microscopy approaches that complement the biological objectives of the project
- Access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure and core facilities for imaging, proteomics, genomics, and computational biology
- Interactions with leading experts in quantitative imaging, structural biology, proteomics, and functional genomics through an international network of scientific collaborations
- Participation in international conferences, workshops, and collaborative research visits
- A supportive, collaborative, and international research environment
- Medical package and social benefits (sports card, holiday bonus, and 36 days of paid holiday per year)
As the first PhD student in the Goradia Lab, you will have a unique opportunity to help shape the research direction and culture of a newly established laboratory while working closely with the Principal Investigator on an ambitious and internationally competitive research programme.
Required documents (in English)
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- List of publications (if applicable)
- Contact details of referees (please provide contact information only; recommendation letters may be requested at a later stage)
If you think you are the person we are looking for, please apply by filling in this form: https://forms.gle/Exoy7iw4U8cYLL9C6
Where to apply
Website: https://forms.gle/Exoy7iw4U8cYLL9C6
Requirements
- Research Field: Biological sciences » Biology
- Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: The International Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines Polish Academy of Sciences
- Country: Poland
- State/Province: Mazowieckie
- City: Warsaw
- Postal Code: 02-247
- Street: Marcina Flisa 6
Contact
- State/Province: mazowieckie
- City: Warsaw
- Website: http://imol.instiutute
- Street: Flisa 6
- Postal Code: 02-247
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