Open Positions for Research Assistants in Zhu Lab
Date:2025-01-15

Laboratory Introduction

The Zhu laboratory at CIMR is dedicated to exploring the frontiers of biocompatible chemistry, genetic code expansion, and directed evolution, with the aim of enhancing drug discovery capacity and developing more effective therapies for human diseases by leveraging the insights and tools derived from our research.

Lab Website:https://yuchao-zhu.github.io/

 

A. Major Research Projects
1. Design, develop, and optimize new biocompatible reactions.
2. Directed evolution of enzymes to enhance promiscuity.
3. Peptide-based drug discovery based on Non-canonical display platform.
 
B. Major Contributions
1. Developed one-step transformation of carboxylic acids and alcohols via oxygen-centered radicals to simplify the synthesis of drugs and bioactive molecules (Organic Letters, 2015; ACS Catalysis, 2016; Nature Communications, 2018; Angewandte Chemie, 2020).
2. Developed tryptophan (Nature Chemistry, 2024) and phenylalanine (In submission) decaging techniques, achieving functional regulation of various levels of biological interactions (peptide-peptide, peptide-protein, protein-protein, cell-cell) and potentially regulate over 28,000 proteins' functions in living cells.
3. Developed a broad-spectrum small molecule-responsive allosteric protein switch, revealing new phosphorylation sites related to mitochondrial tyrosine kinases, and studied their relationship with mitochondrial quality control (In preparation).
 

C. Representative Publications

Nat. Chem., 2024, 16: 533-542. DOI:1038/s41557-024-01463-7
Angew Chem, 2020, 59: 19851-19856. DOI:1002/anie.202007187
Nat. Commun., 2018, 9: 2625. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05014-w
ACS Catal., 2016, 6: 6465-6472. DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.6b02074
Org. Lett., 2015, 17: 4702-4705. DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.5b02155

 

Open position

Research Assistant

Main Responsibilities:

a. Conducting research projects independently or with the team.

b. Managing and maintaining the daily operations nd administrative affairs of the laboratory.

 

Qualifications:

a. B.S. or higher degree in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Science, Biology, Basic medicine or relevant fields.

b. Candidates with experience in Organic synthesis, Peptide or Protein Engineering, Drug Screening, Plasmid Construction, Molecular biology or Cell biology are preferred.

c. Proactive and positive in work, with a strong sense of responsibility, teamwork spirit, and communication skills.

d. Proficient in English reading, writing, and daily communication. Capable of writing papers in English.

 

Welfare Treatment

a. Provide competitive salary based on the applicant’s work experience and ability (salary negotiable).

b. Provide social insurance and housing fund, supplementary medical insurance, physical examination and paid annual leave.

c. Support career development and provide relevant professional guidance.

d. Postdoctoral researchers with backgrounds inorganic chemistry and drug synthesis will receive training in Biocompatible Chemistry involving biomacromolecules and live cells, including innovative methods for biocompatible chemistry, living cell chemistry, non-natural amino acid insertion techniques, and cutting-edge areas such as protein evolution and expression.

e. Postdoctoral researchers withbackgrounds in pharmacology, chemical biology, and molecular biology will receive training in protein-directed evolution, phosphoproteomics, and high-throughput screening based on non-natural amino acid insertion techniques.

f. Postdoctoral researchers will receive training to leverage the aforementioned technical platforms for developing chemical biology tools, revealing biological mechanisms, and developing drugs.

 

How to apply

Please send a resume, research interest, the names and contacts of 2-3 referees and other materials demonstrating research capabilities to yuchaozhu@cimrbj.ac.cn, and indicate the applicant's name and specific job position in the email subject.

 

Contact person: Dr. Zhu

 

Contact address: No.10 Xitoutiao, Youanmenwai, Fengtai District, Beijing

 

This job posting remains open until suitable candidates are found.