- PhD position in computational/evolutionary biology -

There is an opening (fall 2010) for a student with a strong academic background to pursue a PhD in our research group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Department of Evolutionary Genetics). One main aim in the laboratory is the characterization of genes whose protein functions require the trace element selenium. These genes incorporate selenium in the form of selenocysteine, the 21st amino acid in the genetic code, and are known as selenoprotein genes. Building on our expertise in the computational identification and annotation of selenoprotein genes in eukaryotic genomes, the student will apply population genetics/molecular approaches to study their evolution. We will focus on understanding the genetic basis of adaptations in selenoprotein gene regulation to levels of dietary selenium in primates. Re-sequencing and comparative expression experiments will be used. Ample opportunities for the analysis of primate genomes in collaboration with other groups in the Department will exist.

We are seeking a motivated, well-organized and creative person. Previous research experience is an advantage. The student will receive a payment according to Max Planck Institute rates. The working environment of the institute is English-speaking, and the members constitute a highly international group. The institute is in Leipzig, a pleasant city of 500,000 inhabitants situated two hours from Berlin and three hours from Prague. Applicants should send their CV, transcripts and name and address of two references (in PDF format) to:

Dr. Sergi Castellano (sergi.castellano@eva.mpg.de).

Some articles of interest to candidates are:

S Castellano, AM Andrés, E Bosch, M Bayes, R Guigó and AG Clark
Low exchangeability of selenocysteine, the 21st amino acid, in vertebrate proteins
Molecular Biology and Evolution, 26, 2031-2040 (2009)

S Castellano, VN Gladyshev, R Guigó and MJ Berry
SelenoDB 1.0: a database of selenoprotein genes, proteins and SECIS elements
Nucleic Acids Research, 36, D339-D343 (2008)

S Castellano, AV Lobanov, C Chapple, S Novoselov, M Albrecht, D Hua, A Lescure, T Lengauer, A Krol, VN Gladyshev and R Guigó
Diversity and functional plasticity of eukaryotic selenoproteins: identification and characterization of the SelJ family
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 102, 16188-16193 (2005)

GV Kryukov, S Castellano, SV Novoselov, AV Lobanov, O Zehtab, R Guigó and VN Gladyshev
Characterization of mammalian selenoproteomes
Science, 300, 1439-1443 (2003)

S Castellano, N Morozova, M Morey, MJ Berry, F Serras, M Corominas and R Guigó
in silico identification of novel selenoproteins in the Drosophila melanogaster genome
EMBO reports, 2, 697-702 (2001)