Postdoc position open

We are seeking a recent Ph.D. fellow to perform two exciting projects. The first is to address how the conserved and universal CCA sequence at the tRNA 3’ end controls and regulates tRNA stability in cells. Although this CCA sequence is essential for the decoding process of tRNA, including amino acid charging and tRNA movement across the ribosome, our data suggests that it is also important to regulate tRNA stability in cells, suggesting the possibility of a previously unrecognized function of the sequence. The question of how tRNA stability and turnover is regulated inside cells, particularly during stress, is poorly understood but is directly relevant to human health. Cardiovascular disease that arises from delayed CCA addition may be caused by instability of tRNA due to the lack of CCA.

The second project is to develop and optimize prototype of oligonucleotide-based hybridization assays for the typing of single nucleotide polymorphisms and short tandem repeats from PCR amplified DNA fragments. This project will interface with other projects in the lab to miniaturize and automate sample processing from cell lysis to hybridization readout on a fabricated chip. This project has a strong potential for direct application to industry and to biotechnology.

For the first project, experience with molecular cloning and with gene knockout in the model organisms of E. coli (a model of Gram-) and B. subtilis (a model of Gram+) is important. It is also important to have experience with Northern analysis and tag-purification of proteins. This project will also involve developing a new fluorescent technique to monitor tRNA in cells. For the second project, experience with nucleic acid research and basic molecular cloning is important.

Please contact Professor Ya-Ming Hou, Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philadelphia, USA, Email: ya-ming.hou@jefferson.edu. Website: http://www.monalisascybersolutions.com/Ya-MingHou/