POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER – Function and regulation of histone variants in leukaemia

Job description

The team of Marcus Buschbeck at the headquarters of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (Badalona, Barcelona, Spain) is looking for a motivated researcher to work on a main research line of the lab aiming to understand the regulation and function of histone variants in leukaemia.

The nucleosome is the structural unit of chromatin and has a core of histone proteins. Replacement of canonical histones with histone variants continues to be one of the least understood modifications of the nucleosome and has roles in epigenetic regulation (Buschbeck and Hake, 2017, Nature Reviews MCB). Among all core histone variants, the group of macroH2A histone variants stands out because of having two additional domains. These are an unstructured linker domain and a globular macrodomain. From previous studies by us and others, we know that the linker mediates a still poorly understood role in higher order chromatin architecture and that macrodomains can bind metabolites (e.g. Corujo, 2022, Cell Reports; Guberovic, 2021, Nature Structure Molecular Biology).

We are looking for a postdoc who shares our excitement and interest and wishes to understand the molecular mechanism of macroH2A in chromatin structure, time-resolve downstream effects after its removal and to identify targeting strategies. This project will be a team effort and the candidate will need to tightly interact and collaborate with other postdocs and PhD students working on related aspects in the group, having generated preliminary results and having developed essential tools. The contract will be covered in parts by the Fundació La Marató de TV3, through the grant entitled ‘Explorant i explotant les variants d\'histones com a dianes terapèutiques en la leucèmia mieloide aguda’ (Ref. No. 201907-30-31) and through the grant entitled \'Enhancer regulation and nuclear metabolite sensing by histone variants\' (Ref. number PID2021-126907NB-I00) funded by the Spanish National Research Agency AEI and FEDER, UE.

For more info about the lab please check out our website: https://www.buschbecklab.org

Requirements

What we need

• A high level of motivation and interest.

• High-level of collaborative and communicative skills.

• Relevant expertise in chromatin biology or blood cancers.

• Technical expertise in cell culture methods, molecular biology and biochemistry.

• Competitive CV with a track record of publications that will allow us to apply for competitive fellowships such as MSCA, EMBO and FEBS.

• PhD title.

• Meeting the MSCA mobility criteria of not having lived in Spain for more than 12 months during the last 3 years.

• 0-7 years of postdoc experience.

• Good level of English speaking and writing skills (required). Spanish (helpful).

What we offer

• Incorporation in a multinational and highly collaborative team.

• An innovative and interdisciplinary research project.

• Mixed basic and clinical research environment of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute.

• The international network of the Buschbeck lab.

• The stimulating environment of the Barcelona metropolitan area.

• Three-year contract with a salary considering the track-record of the candidate.

• Preferential start date: Anytime during the first half of 2023.

How to apply

For more info about the lab and how to apply please check https://www.buschbecklab.org