Job Description
A postdoctoral fellow position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Yuichi Machida at the National Cancer Institute to investigate how proteases regulate DNA replication and maintain genome stability. The lab focuses on DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) and other obstacles that impair replication, with a particular interest in the proteases FAM111A and SPRTN. The successful candidate will use molecular biology, cell-based assays, and biochemical approaches to study the mechanisms of proteolytic DNA repair and replication stress response.
In addition to their relevance to cancer therapy, the enzymes studied in the Machida Lab are genetically linked to developmental syndromes and genome instability disorders. Germline mutations in these proteases cause human diseases such as Kenny–Caffey syndrome and Ruijs–Aalfs syndrome. Understanding how these enzymes function at replication forks may reveal new DNA repair mechanisms and provide insight into the pathogenesis of genetic diseases and cancer. To learn more about the research in the Machida lab, please visit my website.
The Developmental Therapeutics Branch (DTB) offers a collaborative and highly interactive research environment, with access to a multidisciplinary research community of basic scientists, bioinformaticians, and clinical scientists. The Machida lab is committed to creating a supportive research environment to help all trainees succeed in their research careers.
Qualifications and Job Details
Required and Preferred Skills
- Strong background in molecular biology, biochemistry, or cell biology
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative research team
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Experience with DNA replication and/or DNA repair pathways
- Biochemistry, including protein expression and purification
- Structural biology (X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM)
- Cell-based assays (e.g., immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, clonogenic assays)
- CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing
About the NCI Center for Cancer Research
The Center for Cancer Research (CCR) is home to nearly 250 basic and clinical research groups located on two campuses just outside of Washington, D.C. CCR is part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and makes up the largest component of the research effort at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Centrally supported by long-term funding and a culture of complete intellectual freedom, CCR scientists are able to pursue the most important and challenging problems in cancer research. We collaborate with academic and commercial partners and advocacy groups across the world in efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer and HIV/AIDS. The CCR research portfolio covers the full spectrum of biological and biomedical research. Our work ranges from basic to translational and clinical, and our clinical trials are conducted in the NIH Clinical Center, the world’s largest hospital dedicated to clinical research that offers a robust infrastructure to support CCR’s patients on an estimated 250 open studies. The success of CCR is grounded in an exceptionally strong discovery research program that provides the foundation for the seamless translation of insights from bench to bedside. Read more about CCR, the benefits of working at CCR and hear from our staff on their CCR experiences.
Bethesda
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