Postdoctoral Research Assistant - CeTPD - UOD2144

University of Dundee - Faculty of Life Sciences

We are recruiting an exceptional Cell Biologist with experience in developing high-throughput, cell biology–based assays for cancer drug discovery, to drive the identification and validation of “glueable” E3 ligase–target pairs. You will join a newly established research team within the Ciulli Research Group at the Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation (CeTPD), as part of a new collaboration between Professor Alessio Ciulli FRS and Boehringer Ingelheim focused on developing molecular glue degraders for cancer targets.

The project aims to: (1) identify ubiquitin E3 ligases with the potential to be recruited to targets of interest; (2) validate and characterise these interactions in cellular and in vitro models, including structural enablement; and (3) screen and identify small molecules that enhance these interactions to function as molecular glues. The overarching goal is to develop innovative and rational strategies for the de novo design of glue degraders for hard-to-drug targets, accelerating the development of novel cancer therapeutics.

The appointed researcher will be part of a newly established “ACBI-glue team” based within the state-of-the-art laboratories at CeTPD, University of Dundee. The mission of the team is to identify, validate and biophysically/structurally characterise cellular protein–protein interactions and screen for small molecules that enhance these interactions to induce targeted protein degradation via E3 ligase recruitment.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop and implement high-throughput cellular assays and screening pipelines, including cell-based TR-FRET and split-based assays, as well as MS-based proteomics approaches such as proximity labelling (TurboID) and IP-MS pull-downs, to support the identification and validation of glueable E3 ligase–target pairs and downstream compound screening.

You will work closely with the PI, Senior Lead Scientist, other PDRAs, and scientists across the Ciulli research group, CeTPD, and the collaborating industry partner. Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential for working effectively in multidisciplinary drug discovery teams.

Candidate Requirements

• PhD in cell biology, molecular/biomedical sciences, molecular pharmacology, or a related discipline.
• Experience developing scalable high-throughput cellular assays and adapting them for proteome-wide and/or compound screening.
• Strong expertise in tissue culture, including maintenance of cancer cell lines, transient transfection, generation of stable and KO/KI lines, and molecular cloning.
• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a diverse team.
• Strong organisational, time-management and self-motivation skills.
• Open and collaborative approach to research.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in academic or industrial drug discovery.
• Expertise in MS-based proteomics, including data analysis using R.
• Experience with protein interaction assays (e.g. proximity labelling, ubiquitination and/or degradation).
• Interest in cancer-related pathways and gene regulatory networks.

The position is available immediately for a fixed term until 29 February 2028, at University Grade 7 (£37,174–£45,413, depending on experience). The post will be based at CeTPD, University of Dundee. For further information, please contact Professor Alessio Ciulli (a.ciulli@dundee.ac.uk).