ESR 7 | Electrophotoautotrophic production of N-heterocycles by an enzymatic cascade in Rhodopseudomonas palustris

ORGANISATION NOVA University Lisbon is the youngest public university in Portugal created in 1973 and was included in the QS Top50 under 50 universities in 2020. NOVA hosts more than 20 000 students, 1 800 teaching and research staff, and 41 Research Units, distributed by 9 Academic Units in the metropolitan area of Lisbon. The Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA) is an Academic Unit of NOVA with the mission to carry out scientific research and postgraduate teaching in life sciences, chemistry, and associated technologies, while serving the community and promoting science and technology. ITQB NOVA has a strong expertise in Molecular Biosciences - including Cellular, Molecular and Structural Biology, Biotechnology and Chemical Biology. This expertise drives research with impact in strategic challenges of Health and Environment. Researchers benefit from first-rate equipment, research facilities, and support services to carry out competitive research. Currently with 52 independent laboratories, it hosts approximately 500 researchers. With a track-record of scientific excellence and a focus on internationalization, ITQB NOVA is a leading center for advanced researcher training.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The main part of your PhD research (3 years in total) will be carried out at the ITQV-NOVA under the supervision of Dr Ricardo O. Louro (NOVA, Portugal). An academic research stay (9 months) will take place at the University of Groningen (RUG, the Netherlands) under the supervision of Assist. Prof. Dr. Sandy Schmidt in the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology at the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy with an additional secondment (9 months) at the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, under the supervision of Dr. Lars Lauterbach.. The H2020 Marie Skłodowska- Curie Actions (MSCA) – Innovative Training Network (ITN) project starts in January 2021. The date of recruitment and start of the PhD project is planned for May 2021 and latest on December 2021. Your PhD degree will be awarded based on successful completion of the research work from two universities (NOVA, Portugal, and RUG, the Netherlands). You will also be required to participate in the training events and workshops organized by the ITN-European Joint Doctorates (EJD) program. As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) fellow, you are also expected to contribute your time in the dissemination of your PhD project’s results through public engagement and other scientific platforms.

The PhD research will focus on: (i) Interdisciplinary project on biochemistry, molecular biology, metabolic engineering, bioelectrosynthesis (ii) Strain engineering for the synthesis of N-heterocyclic compounds (secondment), (iii) Characterization of molecular events that underpin the photobioelectrosysnthesis performed by R. palustris, (iv) perform an in-depth characterization of pathways relevant for the connection of the bioenergetics metabolism of R. palustris with electrodes (v) Development of the photobioelectrochemical reactor.

Primary supervisor: Dr. Ricardo Louro ([email protected]) Recruiting institution: NOVA University (Portugal) Double degree awarding institution: University of Groningen (RUG, the Netherlands)

REQUIREMENTS • An outstanding M.Sc. degree in Biological chemistry, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Chemistry or related field • Eligible as a graduate student at NOVA University Lisbon, Portugal, • Research experience in biochemistry (e.g. protein expression, purification and characterization), molecular biology (molecular cloning, DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis), electrochemistry, • Ability to work in an international team, • Inter- and multidisciplinary thinking, • High motivation to pursue academic research, • An integrative and cooperative personality with excellent communication and social skills, • Fluency in English – written and oral.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT We offer you a work contract in accordance with the Portuguese Law ‘Código de Trabalho’.  a gross annual salary of 33040 € in accordance with the tabulated values for the living allowance and country correction coefficients of the Horizon 2020-Workprogram 2018-2020  a full-time position (1.0 FTE) The 1.0 FTE appointment is temporary for a specified period of three years. The preferred starting date is between 1 April and 1 July 2021.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE To apply for the position, kindly provide: (i) A letter of motivation including a statement of your research interests, relevant skills and experience; (ii) A CV including publication list; and (iii) Names and contact details of three referees willing to write confidential letters of recommendation. Please upload applications only according to instructions at www.conco2rde.eu.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our University. We are committed to building a diverse faculty so you are encouraged to apply. Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code and European Commission's: European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

31st of January 2021 11:59pm Central European Time

Innovative Training Network – European Joint Doctorates This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 955740.