Description
Your tasks ##
You will work at the new PXI-VESPA endstation and the other SLS MX beamlines, in close collaboration with beamline scientists, detector and software experts.
- Implement and run time-resolved experiments: substrate / ligand droplet mixing with a picolitre injector and microsecond pump-probe experiments (laser-induced temperature jump, photocaged compounds) using the JUNGFRAU detector
- Apply these methods to dynamic structural enzymology to capture reaction intermediates and conformational changes
- Establish serial synchrotron crystallography SSX workflows on cryo-compatible fixed-target chips (e.g. IMISX, MISP-chip) for dynamic studies
- Characterise X-ray-induced heating and radiation damage at room temperature on micro- to millisecond time scales and derive data-collection protocols
- Publish results in peer-reviewed journals, present them at international conferences and support external users and collaborators
Your profile ##
- PhD degree in structural biology, biophysics, biochemistry, chemistry, physics or a related field
- Hands-on experience in macromolecular crystallography, from X-ray data collection and processing to structure determination and refinement
- Experience in serial and/or time-resolved crystallography at synchrotrons or XFELs
- Strong interest in method and instrumentation development and enjoyment of working in an interdisciplinary team at a large-scale research facility
- Very good written and spoken English
- Desirable: experience with protein production and (micro)crystallisation, reaction initiation (mixing, laser pump-probe, T-jump) or enzyme kinetics
- Desirable: programming skills (e.g. Python) and experience with serial data-processing software (e.g. CrystFEL, XDS) or radiation-damage studies
We offer ##
Our institute is based on interdisciplinary, innovative and dynamic collaboration. In addition to a systematic induction, you will benefit from individual development opportunities and our pronounced culture of further education. We support you with modern employment conditions and on-site facilities to help you reconcile work with family life or personal interests.
The position is limited to 2 years, with the option of a 1 year extension. Starting date: by agreement.
For further information, please contact Dr Guillaume Gotthard, phone +41 56 310 40 13 or Dr Meitian Wang, phone +41 56 310 41 75.
We look forward to receiving your online application, including a list of publications and contact details of two referees, by 10 January 2027 for the position as a Postdoctoral Fellow (index no. 6121-29365).
Paul Scherrer Institute, People & Culture, Mariusz Prus, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland