진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

The Caliskan lab investigates mechanisms and regulation of alternative translation events called recoding that alter the triplet periodicity of the genetic code in eukaryotic cells during infections (Riegger and Caliskan, Frontiers M.Bio., 2022). Recoding events such as frameshifting have been well known and studied in viruses such as HIV, coronaviruses and bacteria since they are essential for the synthesis of replicative enzymes and hence for the life cycle of the pathogen. However, their regulation and mechanisms remain puzzling. Caliskan lab aims to close this gap by combining interdisciplinary expertise from cellular to single-molecule analysis to identify, mechanistically study and exploit frameshift RNA:protein complexes (Kibe et al. Nature Struct. Mol. Biol. 2025; Pekarek et al., Nucleic Acid Research, 2023; Zimmer and Kibe et al, Nature Comm. 2021; Hill, Pekarek et al., Nature Comm. 2021). Understanding the mechanisms of recoding and its cis- and trans-regulators will, in the long run, provide us with new tools for synthetic biology and new opportunities for RNA-centric antiviral drugs and immunotherapies.

Responsibilities

To work on this project, we seek a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to study and illuminate regulation principles of programmed ribosome frameshifting events in HIV-1 by employing high-throughput RNA structural-functional profiling. In this regard, we are especially interested in hiring candidates with expertise in next generation sequencing, ribosome profiling and RNA structure probing.

The project will be conducted in a highly international, collegial, collaborative, and interdisciplinary work environment, with various possibilities to develop independence, new skills and long-term career opportunities. We highly encourage and support the candidate to apply for external third-party funding.