Positions 8

Post-doctoral position: Developing a novel approach to membrane protein crystallization

Physico-Chimie Moléculaire des Membranes Biologiques
CNRS/Université Paris 7 UMR 7099
Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique
13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005 Paris – France

A postdoctoral position is open in our laboratory. The aim of the work will be to develop the application of novel, polymeric surfactants called amphipols to membrane protein crystallization. Amphipols (APols) are small amphipathic polymers (1) that can substitute for detergents to keep membrane proteins water-soluble while stabilizing them biochemically (2). They can also be used to fold them (3). Diffracting 3D crystals of ternary protein/APol/detergent complexes have already been obtained in our laboratory. Our aims include extending this result to binary protein/APol complexes, improving diffraction patterns, testing new proteins and new APols, and determining crystallographically the arrangement of APols in the crystals and whether the protein's structure in this environment differs from that in detergents (for a parallel approach using NMR, see ref. 4). The position will be initially funded for a year on an EU grant, with a possibility of extension by one more year on other resources. Candidates should have a good background in membrane protein biochemistry and crystallization and a good command of English. The work will take place in a small, interdisciplinary laboratory (CNRS/Paris-7 University UMR 7099; http://www.ibpc.fr/UMR7099/) located in a new wing of the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique in Paris (fifth arrondissement). Access is granted to the X-ray lab of the Institute, which is equipped with a generator, a crystallization robot and visualization system, and temperature-controlled rooms.

Contact me exclusively by e-mail at mailto:jean-luc.popot@ibpc.fr , sending a C.V., a letter describing your background and research goals, the date at which you'd like to start, and the names and e-mail addresses of at least two advisors willing to send in letters of recommendation.

Thanks,

Jean-Luc Popot

References

1. Tribet, C., Audebert, R. & Popot, J.-L. (1996). Amphipols: polymers that keep membrane proteins soluble in aqueous solutions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 15047-15050.

2. Popot, J.-L., Berry, E. A., Charvolin, D., Creuzenet, C., Ebel, C., Engelman, D. M., Flötenmeyer, M., Giusti, F., Gohon, Y., Hervé, P., Hong, Q., Lakey, J. H., Leonard, K., Shuman, H. A., Timmins, P., Warschawski, D. E., Zito, F., Zoonens, M., Pucci, B. & Tribet, C. (2003). Amphipols: polymeric surfactants for membrane biology research. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 60, 1559-1574.

3. Pocanschi, C. L., Dahmane, T., Gohon, Y., Rappaport, F., Apell, H.-J., Kleinschmidt, J. H. & Popot, J.-L. (2006). Amphipathic polymers: tools to fold integral membrane proteins to their active form. Biochemistry 45, 13954-13961.

4. Zoonens, M., Catoire, L. J., Giusti, F. & Popot, J.-L. (2005). NMR study of a membrane protein in detergent-free aqueous solution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 8893-8898.