Call for postdoc candidates interested in applying for a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship in Enzyme and Resistance Evolution

UiT The Arctic University of Norway has established «The Arctic MSCA-PF program» (uit.no/project/arcticmsca) to recruit excellent young researchers planning to apply for a Marie Skƚodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF) to pursue a career in research. We invite applications from promising young researchers within the field of Enzyme and Antibiotic Evolution. The selected candidate will write a proposal for a 24-month MSCA-PF at UiT together with Dr. Christopher Frøhlich. This is an opportunity to accelerate your research career while living in the urban research city of Tromsø, uniquely located at the top of the world surrounded by some of Europe’s last pristine wild nature.  

This call is one of 76 from pre-selected supervisors at UiT The Arctic University of Norway through the “Arctic MSCA-PF program”. Successful postdoc candidates will be invited for a three-day MSCA-PF symposium June 4-6, 2024 (hybrid physical/digital event, see details at uit.no/project/arcticmsca/program-structure). At this event, the candidates will present their past research achievements, discuss future plans with their potential supervisor and learn how to write a successful MSCA-PF application. The selected candidates will, jointly with the supervisor, write the MSCA-PF application by the deadline of September 11, 2024.  

In this call we search for talented, young researchers within the field of Enzyme and Antibiotic Resistance Evolution as presented by Dr. Frølich: 

As a molecular biologist, my research centers on β-lactamases and their role in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). I specialize in directed evolution and enzymology, studying how genetic variations affect enzyme activity and specificity. This is crucial for understanding β-lactam antibiotic resistance mechanisms.

My expertise extends to structural biology, where I employ X-ray crystallography to elucidate changes in enzyme structures. This approach is instrumental in determining how structural alterations in β-lactamases influence their function and interactions with inhibitors, aiding in the development of more effective drugs.

Current projects include:

1.            Developing novel metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors.

2.            Investigating β-lactamase-mediated resistance evolution.

3.            Using directed evolution, enzymology, and structural analysis to explore enzyme adaptation in AMR.

4.            Examining trade-offs in AMR evolution.

Please send your CV (max 3 pages) and describe a research project that will strengthen and complement the presented research (max 2 pages) to christopher.frohlich@uit.no by Feb 16th 2024. Mark your application "Arctic MSCA". Successful candidates will be contacted in late March 2024.