ZoBio (www.zobio.com) was founded in 2004 and is located in Leiden, Netherlands. We offer innovative research services in the field of small-molecule drug discovery to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Our international team of over 35 people covers four fields of expertise: Protein Engineering and Production, Assay Development and Screening, Structural Biology and Medicinal Chemistry.

We are looking for a highly motivated scientist to drive a collaborative project involving ZoBio and Peter Güntert’s and Roland Riek’s groups at the ETH Zürich. The goal of the project is to establish an automated pipeline enabling structure-based drug discovery (SBDD) using NMR for RNA targets, using machine learning to automate the (re-) assignment of RNA resonances and elucidate the structure of RNA-ligand complexes. The project will run for 3 years.

In this position you will be able to work independently in a highly collaborative environment within the Structural Biology group and will effectively cooperate with other research groups at ZoBio. You will be an employee of ZoBio and it is expected that you will participate significantly in other (commercial) projects within ZoBio as well.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Development of workflows for RNA sample preparation at ZoBio
• Implementation and optimization of pulse sequences for RNA assignment and structure determination by solution NMR
• Implementation and testing the performance of algorithms developed by the partners at ETH Zürich
• Planning and execution of all the experimental work with periodic reporting to the ZoBio management, funding agency, and collaborative partners

REQUIREMENTS

• PhD in relevant field with experience in an industrial or collaborative setting and a strong background in NMR spectroscopy
• Experience with data acquisition and analysis for resonance assignment and structure determination of macromolecules by solution NMR
• Experience with RNA sample preparation for solution NMR studies and with RNA isotope labelling is a plus
• Ability to work in a team in a result-driven, goal-oriented environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (English)

A tailored remuneration package will be proposed in line with individual qualifications and experience. Please send your CV, motivation letter and names of potential referees at <hrm@zobio.com> with the subject: “Scientist in NMR-based RNA drug discovery”.