Structural Biology and Drug Discovery against COVID-19 and other arboviroses circulating in Brazil

The Center for Research and Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery (CIBFar/CEPID/USP/FAPESP) - announces the opening of a post-doctoral position with a scholarship from FAPESP. Registration is open until May 12, 2021.

The postdoctoral student will develop his activities in the Laboratory of Structural Biology and Medicinal Chemistry of the Institute of Physics of São Carlos, with the following methodologies:

1. Amplification, cloning (in prokaryotes and / or eukaryotes), recombinant expression and purification in maximum degree, of proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and arboviruses circulating in Brazil (zika, yellow fever, chikungunya, mayaro) relevant as potential targets for antiviral drugs.

2. Development and standardization of activity or binding assays, for the expressed recombinant enzymes, for use in the selection of specific ligands and inhibitors, potential candidates for drugs against COVID-19 and circulating arboviruses in Brazil.

3. Crystallization of the main molecular targets of SARS-CoV-2 and circulating arboviruses in Brazil and in positive cases, collection of diffraction data and resolution of the respective structures for subsequent development of specific ligands by the Fragment Screening and co-crystallization methodologies.

4. Biochemical / biophysical screening of compounds and planning of antiviral molecules.

The candidate must have a good academic record and full training in the methodologies described above. Applications must be made by sending to the email of the main researcher responsible for the vacancy, Professor Glaucius Oliva (oliva@ifsc.usp.br), a Curriculum Vitae and a brief description of the interest in the line of research as well as the previous experience in the techniques involved in the above described activities.

More information about the project to which the selected candidate will be inserted can be obtained at https://cibfar.ifsc.usp.br/homepage/

The postdoctoral opportunity is open to Brazilians and foreigners. The selected candidate will receive a FAPESP Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the amount of R$ 7,373.10 per month, for a period of 24 months, and bench fees equivalent to 15% of the annual scholarship amount to meet expenses directly related to the research activity.

If the selected candidate lives outside the city where the research institution is located and needs to move, he/she may be entitled to an installation allowance. More information about the FAPESP Postdoctoral Scholarship is available at www.fapesp.br/bolsas/pd