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HERCHEL SMITH POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IN BIOCHEMISTRY

The Herchel Smith Fellow will be expected to carry out his/her independent laboratory-based research programme within the Department of Biochemistry.
  The successful applicant will be expected to work on some aspect of the biosynthesis and biochemistry of antibiotic natural products, especially polyketides, i.e. within the general field of Antibiotic Biosynthesis. Applications are particularly encouraged from candidates wishing to study structure-activity relationships of key biosynthetic enzymes including use of X-ray crystallography and other biophysical approaches for structural analysis. However,  the area of research within which the appointment will be made also includes the molecular microbiology and genetics of actinomycetes; the elucidation of novel biosynthetic pathways and their regulation; the engineering of pathways for overproduction of specific metabolites and for production of novel, potentially clinically useful metabolites, using either knowledge-based approaches or directed evolution; and studies to determine novel cellular targets and mechanisms of action of natural products. The Herchel Smith Professor of Biochemistry at Cambridge University is Professor Peter Leadlay FRS.
  Those interested in applying for this Fellowship are encouraged to visit the Department's website at http://www.bioc.cam.ac.uk as well as that of the School of the Biological Sciences at http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Leadlay at pfl10@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk, or, on practical aspects of the Scheme, to the Secretary of the Herchel Smith Fund, Dr Wastl at jw312@admin.cam.ac.uk.