DNA replication and repair are essential for the faithful transmission of genetic information through cell divisions. These processes are typically carried out by proteins interacting with each other and forming either stable or transient protein complexes. For many of these complexes the three-dimensional structures as well as the evolutionary conservation remain unknown. However, the recent breakthrough in protein structure prediction enables modeling structures of not only individual proteins, but also of multimeric complexes. This opens up new avenues for studying protein-protein interactions in the context of three-dimensional structures including their evolutionary conservation.
The overall goal of this doctoral project is to use state-of-the art bioinformatics approaches to characterize the structures, interactions, and evolutionary conservation of known or predicted protein complexes involved in DNA replication and repair. To achieve this goal, a number of computational methods will be used, including comparison, classification and phylogenetic analysis of protein sequences, modeling and analysis of 3D structures of protein complexes. The project is expected to significantly expand the knowledge about protein complexes involved in DNA replication and repair.
Applicants are expected to have their training background in molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics or bioinformatics.