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Postdoctoral Position in Structural Biology, Imperial College London Antibiotic resistance is a widely used phenomenon in bacteria and is becoming a health problem worldwide. One of the major mechanisms underlying multidrug resistance in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes is the active extrusion of numerous structurally unrelated toxic compounds by membrane proteins known as multidrug-efflux transporters. Several transcription regulators have been demonstrated to promote transporter expression in response to structurally dissimilar toxic compounds. Therefore the elucidation of the regulator proteins offers alternative avenues for understanding the mechanism of bacterial multidrug resistance and potential antimicrobials and novel drug development. This project aims to characterise structurally the set of regulators that control the efflux pumps in the best characterised P.putida DOT-T1E strain. P.Putida has the unusual property of tolerating high concentration of toxic compounds including antibiotics, plant secondary metabolites and organic solvents and is a close relative to P. Florescens and P. Aeruginosa, the latter being highly pathogenic to humans and animals. The structural information obtained and mechanisms derived should help us understand how P.Putida and other bacteria achieve multidrug and solvent resistance and provide avenues for future antimicrobials and drug design. This position is available immediately for 3 years on the Research and Education Family, Level B, with a starting salary in the range of £26,120 - £33,330 depending on experience. The successful candidate should hold a PhD in structural biology, biochemistry or a related area with proven experience in structural biology. You will be joining a dynamic, international, multidisciplinary research group located within the South Kensington campus. For initial enquiries please contact Dr Xiaodong Zhang ([EMAIL PROTECTED], +44 (0) 20 7594 3151, www.msf.bio.ic.ac.uk)
