Domain: mass spectrometry-based proteomics; protein biochemistry; methods development

Keywords: quantitative mass spectrometry; multiplex TMT-labelling; thermal proteome profiling; thermophilic bacteria; protein stability, optimization of sample preparation

Promotor: Eva Csosz

Starting date: 1st of September 2024, for a period of 3 + 1 years

Location: University of Debrecen; Debrecen, Hungary.

Funding: 2020-2.1.1-ED-2023-00269, Ministry of Culture and Innovation, Hungary

In this project, elucidating temperature-induced proteome changes in thermophiles will be instrumental to create efficient and green industrial processes. Mass spectrometry-driven thermal proteome profiling (TPP) is the method of choice to generate temperature-dependent proteome-wide information on protein stability.

In collaboration with DC2 at VUB, who will cultivate thermophiles, and DC7 who will develop high performing MS methods, you will help DC6 in the optimization of methods to carry out the TPP experiments. The strain-specific lysis protocols will need to be developed, optimized and applied for selected thermophile strains. Following method optimization, the TPP experiments have to be carried out on at least 5 different strains important for cell factories. You will also be involved in melting pattern analysis of microbial strains through TPP, proteomics data characteristic for the studied temperatures, analysis of the proteomics data and comparison of the thermal response of the orthologous proteins across the studied thermophilic prokaryotic strains. Your work will be closely linked to that of DC6 and will be relevant to more comprehensively understand species- and/or strain-specific differences.

You will primarily work at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, in Debrecen, Hungary. Besides your work in Debrecen, you will also have two secondments, one at CNRS in Strasbourg, France and the other at VUB in Brussels, Belgium.

The project is part of a computational/experimental EU MSCA-DN project with a total of 10 Ph.D. students, and is highly interdisciplinary. Your role in the project will be important, as you will have to learn and apply the best experimental and computational methods developed by DC2, DC6, and DC7, and provide DC4 and DC5 with high quality data. Knowledge of protein biochemistry is essential, and a solid background in mass spectrometry and proteomics will be an asset. Candidates must be motivated to learn about all disciplines relevant to the project.

Candidates must be fluent in English.

Applications must be submitted online in English following the instructions and respecting the conditions at https://bit.ly/prohits. The deadline for applications is 15/03/2024 at 23:59 (CET)

Further general information about the PROHITS project: http://prohits.eu