Synthesis of long RNA sequences using a chemoenzymatic strategy
A postdoc position for a talented postdoctoral researcher is available in the Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids unit of the Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.
Topic. The advent of mRNA-based vaccines against SARS-Covid 2 and the FDA-approval of numerous therapeutic siRNA oligonucleotides clearly underscore the need for reliable synthesis of modified RNA and without any sequence size limitations. This project addresses this question by proposing a novel chemoenzymatic method which can be used for the synthesis of therapeutic agents and vaccines based on RNA. Novelty and challenge reside in identifying suitable protecting groups for nucleoside triphosphates and use these in polymerase-mediated RNA synthesis.
Representative publications and patent: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2020, 117, 16790-16798; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2003267117; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 5413-5424; doi:10.1021/jacs.1c00014; WO2020043846A1
Profile. A PhD in organic chemistry with a strong background in synthesis of modified RNA nucleoside, nucleotide, and oligonucleotides. Knowledge in enzymatic synthesis of RNA oligonucleotides is a big plus.
Conditions. The position is funded by the « Direction des applications de la Recherche et des Partenariats Industriels (DARRI) » of Institut Pasteur and the Institut Carnot. The salary corresponds to the postdoc standard in France, including extended health coverage. The contract will be for 24 months. The position is available from September 2021, but the exact starting date is negotiable (within the last trimester of 2021).
Application: Send a single pdf document with a detailed CV, a cover letter, and the names and contacts of three references.
Materials should be emailed as a single PDF file to the principal investigator Marcel Hollenstein (marcel.hollenstein@pasteur.fr), who can be reached for informal inquiries about the project and the research unit.