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Covalent podands and macrocycles for the molecular recognition of carbohydrates

25 Feb 2024

Job Information

Organisation/Company
Università degli Studi di Firenze
Department
Chemistry Department "Ugo Schiff" - DICUS
Research Field
Chemistry » Organic chemistry
Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Country
Italy
Application Deadline
Type of Contract
Temporary
Job Status
Full-time
Hours Per Week
40
Offer Starting Date
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
HE / MSCA
Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number
101119492
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No

Offer Description

In the framework of the MSCA-Doctoral Network "European Network on the Supramolecular Chemistry of Carbohydrates", DC3 will be in charge of the project “Covalent podands and macrocycles for the molecular recognition of carbohydrates”.

The project aims to develop amino- and imino-based podand and macrocycle receptors for the biomimetic (non-covalent) recognition of biologically relevant carbohydrates. Recent advances in our group have led to synthetic receptors that target glycans and are biologically active in several contexts, from antiviral compounds against enveloped health risk viruses to apoptotic agents against cancer cell lines. The experimental work will be largely represented by the synthesis and characterisation of new synthetic receptors. The project will also include the molecular design of new receptors and the determination of their binding properties using spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques with particular reference to NMR and ITC.

 

Background literature:

Towards Biomimetic Recognition of Glycans by Synthetic Receptors. ChemPlusChem 2023, e202300598

A Simple Biomimetic Receptor Selectively Recognizing the GlcNAc2 Disaccharide in Water. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 11168 – 11172.

A biomimetic synthetic receptor selectively recognizing fucose in water. Chem. Eur. J. 2018, 24, 6828-6836.

Requirements

Research Field
Chemistry » Organic chemistry
Education Level
Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications

Experience in organic chemical research is strongly recommended.

Languages
ENGLISH
Level
Good

Additional Information

Benefits

Recruited doctoral candidate will receive a 36-months grant to cover living, travel and installation (mobility) allowance, and family allowance (if applicable), as reported below. The reported amount is referred to gross salary (€/36 months) before tax. Net salaries will depend on the national taxation applied by the recruiting institution’s country and on possible extra-benefits granted by the employing institution.

DC

Recruiting institution

Country

Living allowance

Mobility allowance

Family Allowance

Total maximum GROSS amount from REA (36 months)

DC3

UNIFI

IT

119.217,60 €

21.600,00 €

17.820,00 €

158.637,60 €

 

 

 

Eligibility criteria

At the time of recruitment applicants must fulfill the following rules:

Experience

Eligible applicants must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. Doctoral candidates must be enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.

Mobility

Eligible applicants must not have resided (and not have carried out their main activity, i.e. work, studies, etc.) in Italy for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date, November 1st 2024.

Additional eligibility criteria required by the ENSCC consortium

Admission to the programme is open to applicants who hold a 2nd Level Master’s Degree (120 ECTS + 180 ECTS in a bachelor’s degree) or a Single Cycle Degree (minimum 300 ECTS), or a comparable university degree (Second Cycle qualification), as required by the partner universities for admission to doctoral studies.

Equal opportunities policy without distinction on the grounds of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation will be applied.

Applications from students who have not yet completed their Master's degree will also be considered, however, such applications will be accepted on a provisional basis. It is mandatory that the Master's degree is obtained within a timeframe suitable for the start of the contract (01/11/2024), failing which the application will be disqualified.

Selection process

Selection process

All applications shall be conveyed exclusively through the ENSCC website at www.ENSCC.eu starting from March 1 2024, and no later than April 14, 2024, at h 23:59 CET. In particular, the following mandatory documents shall be included in the application by attaching them as PDF files along with the application form (available from www.enscc.eu):

1) an updated CV (EU pass format: https://europa.eu/europass/it/create-europass-cv) including the details of education/qualifications, work experience, language skills, list of publications, participation in funded research project and other relevant skills;

2) copy of a valid ID/Passport;

3) a letter giving reason for his/her motivation for the post (max 1 page);

4) two recommendation letters that can be attached to the material or sent directly (within the deadline) by the referees to info@enscc.eu;

5) the certified copy of the Academic degree translated into English (usually the Master Degree) which would formally entitle him/her to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the researcher will be recruited. If the candidate has not yet obtained a Master's Degree, it is required to provide certification, preferably through an official document from their institution or a declaration from the Master’s thesis supervisor, stating that the candidate will complete the Master's Degree by the scheduled contract starting date for the selected positions;

6) a summary of the Master Degree thesis or a brief description of the past scientific activity;

7) the Academic Transcript of Records;

8) letter of research statement, describing the applicant’s research experience in relation with the project/s s/he is applying for (max 1500 words). The letter shall report a description of the applicant’s master research project and a self-evaluation on scientific and soft skills.

Detailed instruction about how to send the application will be available on the project's website (www.enscc.eu)

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available
1
Company/Institute
Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff” DICUS, University of Florence
Country
Italy
City
Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze
Postal Code
50019
Street
Via della Lastruccia, 13
Geofield

Where to apply

Website

Contact

City
Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze
Website
Street
via della Lastruccia 13
Postal Code
50019
E-Mail
oscar.francesconi@unifi.it