We are offering 3 year training and development positionsfor post-doctoral scientists who have either recentlycompleted their doctoral studies, are moving into a newresearch discipline, have limited previous experience ofkey transferable skills, or are clinically qualified withlittle or no research experience. They provideopportunities to develop research project skills anddevelop collaborative links with colleagues within theInstitute and elsewhere.

Division of Protein Structure Ref: SPS/SS/CDF/j

Position in Dr Steve Smerdon's laboratory to study thestructural basis of regulation of Polo-like kinases (Plks)as part of a team carrying out crystallographic andfunctional studies of phosphorylation-dependentinteractions in cell-cycle regulation Clapperton et al(2004) Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 11, 512-518; Elia, et al(2003)Cell 115, 83-95; Li et al (2002) Mol. Cell 9,1045-1054. The project will involve the use of bacterialand eukaryotic expression systems to produce andcharacterize these kinases and their interactions withother cell-cycle regulators.

A strong background in protein chemistry and biochemicalmethods is essential and experience of pro and/oreukaryotic protein expression systems and/or protein kinasebiochemistry would be advantageous. There will be extensiveopportunity for training in all aspects of proteincrystallography.

Division of Mathematical Biology Ref: SMB/WT/CDF/J
Protein structure prediction and design

This project, working with Dr Willie Taylor, is to developcomputational methods for the analysis of protein sequenceand structure with a view to their application to proteinstructure prediction and design. The project will involvecollaboration with a US (DARPA) funded consortium (headedby David Baker) working on enzyme design.

You will be expected to write computer programs and applythese, along with other programs, to protein sequence andstructure data. Results will be written up in scientificjournals and made available on the web. Collaboration andmeetings with others in the project will be expected.

NIMR is the largest MRC institute, supporting some 70research groups and 500 bench scientists. The Instituteprovides excellent training for researchers in amulti-disciplinary environment and is equipped with stateof the art facilities, including imaging, sequencing,crystallography, NMR, mass spectroscopy and transgenics.

Salary for these MRC funded positions is from £25,858 to£31,343 per annum (inclusive of Location Allowance). Membership of MRC Pension Scheme available.

Formal applications, which should include a full CV and thenames and addresses of two referees, should be sent toPersonnel Section, National Institute for Medical Research,The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, quoting theappropriate reference number.

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