Doctoral Student in High-throughput Analysis of Protein-Protein Interactions
Doctoral Student in High-throughput Analysis of Protein-Protein Interactions
at ETH Zurich / University of Basel collaboration in Basel.
This PhD project is hosted by the Nash Lab (Lab for Engineering Synthetic Systems), jointly affiliated with the Department of Chemistry at the University of Basel and the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) of ETH Zurich. The work sits at the interface of protein engineering, molecular biophysics, synthetic biology, mechanobiology, and machine learning.
The project aims to develop high-throughput methods to measure force-dependent behavior in protein systems, using molecular surface display, deep sequencing, and related screening technologies. As a proof of concept, the methods will be applied to protein-protein interactions central to blood clotting, with relevance to Von Willebrand disease. The resulting datasets will be used to train predictive machine learning models for mechanical behavior in molecular and cellular systems.
The doctoral researcher will work closely with a computational biology group led by Prof. Niko Beerenwinkel at D-BSSE, gaining experience across the full pipeline: experimental design, DNA variant library construction, yeast display, next-generation sequencing, quantitative data analysis, and model development. The project also includes cross-validation against AFM measurements and opportunities to prepare manuscripts and present at conferences.
Applicants should hold a Master's degree in bioengineering, chemical engineering, biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, or a related field. A strong quantitative background is important, along with hands-on molecular biology and protein expression experience. Prior yeast display, directed evolution, or AFM experience is welcome but not required. Familiarity with Python or computational analysis of large sequencing datasets is expected; machine learning experience is a plus. English fluency and eligibility for the D-BSSE Doctoral program in Basel are required.
The position offers a doctoral salary according to Swiss standards, access to D-BSSE coursework and seminars, a well-equipped lab with protein expression, yeast display, AFM, and high-throughput infrastructure, and support for international conference travel. Applications must be submitted online and should include a cover letter to Prof. Michael Nash, CV, transcripts, thesis or project report, optional publications, and at least two references.
