Name and Surname of the Supervisor: Ugnė Gaižauskaitė
Institution (Company), Department: Vilniaus universitetas, GMC, BTI intistutas, Baltymų-nukleorūgščių sąveikos tyrimų skyrius (prof. dr. Virginijus Šikšnys)
Preliminary Topic Biochemical and Structural Characterization of Exotic CRISPR-Cas Systems
Short Description of the Internship Work: CRISPR-Cas systems are widely studied bacterial defense systems against viruses. Using large-scale genomic data analysis (also known as deep mining), rare and biochemically intriguing CRISPR-Cas systems have recently been identified that exhibit unusual protein architectures: their Cas effectors are fused to genes encoding integrases or proteins involved in DNA adenylylation. Such unusual systems may reveal new principles underlying Cas protein function and evolution.
During the internship, the student will contribute to the biochemical and structural characterization of these systems and the investigation of their mechanisms of action. The student will gain hands-on experience in gene cloning, recombinant protein expression and purification, in vitro biochemical assays, and structural biology. Depending on their motivation and interest, the student will also have the opportunity to learn how to work with cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
Useful links: https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(26)00064-X
Qualification Requirements (Degree): BSc
Application Deadline: 2026-11-01
Additional Comments: We are looking for a motivated, independent student with good academic performance (grade average > 8), preferably a second- or third-year student in a Biochemistry or Molecular Biology program. Programming skills and the ability to perform bioinformatic analyses would be a major advantage.