The Protein Folding and Conformational Diseases Lab at the Institut de Biotecnologia i
de Biomedicina of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), led by Prof. Salvador
Ventura (https://ibb.uab.cat), offers a Ph.D. contract (FPI, 4 years), founded by the
Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation to work in the project “Protein Aggregation:
Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications” (PID2019-105017RB-I00).
Research
Line 1:
Protein aggregation is associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative
disorders. There is an urgent need for diagnostic tools and modifying therapies for these
incurable diseases. This project intends to exploit our protein aggregation background
to provide early diagnostic methods and therapeutic solutions for two different
disorders: Parkinson’s disease and the Tauopathies.
– Pujols, J. et. al. Chemical chaperones as novel drugs for Parkinson’s disease. Trends in Molecular Medicine.
26(4):408-421 (2020).
– Pujols J, et. al. Small molecule inhibits α-synuclein aggregation, disrupts amyloid fibrils, and prevents degeneration
of dopaminergic neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 115(41):10481-10486 (2018)
Research Line 2:
Despite their association with disease, the stable, hierarchical, and tuneable assembly
of amyloids make them exceptional building blocks in nanotechnology, endorsing
materials with properties that cannot be attained with any other organic or inorganic
component. In our lab, we use protein design to develop self-assembled nanomaterials
with novel functional applications, ranging from bio-catalysis to immunotherapy.
– Wang W, et. al. Prion soft amyloid core driven self-assembly of globular proteins into bioactive nanofibrils. Nanoscale
11(26):12680-12694 (2019)
– Díaz-Caballero M, et. al. Minimalist Prion-Inspired Polar Self-Assembling Peptides. ACS Nano. 12 (6), 5394–5407
(2018).
Applicant Profile
Candidates must hold a Master’s degree in a related discipline and should enrol in a
Ph.D. program at the UAB in 2020/21. They should be highly motivated and able to work
independently, with solid previous experience in protein biochemistry/protein
biophysics and molecular biology.
Applications
To apply, send your CV, a short motivation letter describing why you do want to
incorporate into the group, your background, and technical skills, and a scan of the
Certified Academic Record to Salvador.Ventura@uab.es, before