Ref: 54176
School of Immunity and Infection
Salary from £28,132 to £38,907 a year

We are seeking a highly postdoctoral researcher to investigate the role of chromatin remodelling factors in transcription regulation. The position is fixed term for three years.

Regulated changes in chromatin structure and dynamics have a key role in controlling transcription by restricting RNA polymerase II (Pol II) recruitment to normal transcription start sites (TSSs) at the 5' end genes, and controlling the processive elongation of Pol II into the gene body. Chromatin dynamics are controlled by the concerted actions of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling enzymes and histone post-translational modifications (HPTMs).

The candidate will investigate how histone post-translational modifications act as molecular rheostats to control binding of an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler (NURF), and how NURF regulates both transcription elongation and the suppression of cryptic initiation. The candidate will use experimental methods we have established to knock-out chromatin regulators specifically in Drosophila macrophages, and then purify these for high-resolution chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) sequencing and transcriptome analysis. This research will show how combinations of HPTMs act as rheostats to dynamically tune chromatin remodelling by NURF and control transcription.

Candidates will have a PhD in genetics, developmental biology, molecular biology, systems biology or related biological discipline and will have expertise in molecular biology and genetics. Expertise with ChIP and high throughput sequencing data analysis is desirable.

Closing date: 31 March 2014
Reference: 54176