09 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Masaryk University, Czech Republic

Post-doctoral position is open in the Research Group of Petr Tesina to study human translation control. The research project will investigate structures of ribosomal complexes involved in human translation control. As an alternative focus, human-host pathogen interaction-focused projects are also pursued in the lab. State-of-the-art instruments for cryo-EM are available at local core facility and are accessible on a regular basis. The lab has recently acquired generous third-party funding including an ERC Starting Grant.

We are seeking a creative, independent and driven individual with documented research experience related to this position. Candidates with strong research experience in structural biology and translation are especially encouraged to apply.

A postdoctoral opportunity is available within the Gabriel Demo Research Group, specializing in the exploration of translation regulation mechanisms. The group’s research is centred on diverse translation regulation pathways in both bacterial and mammalian cells. This project will focus on the structural intricacies of frameshifting and translocation events in bacterial ribosomes, particularly focusing on tRNAs with additional stem-loops. The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments such as Titan Krios and Talos Arctica for cryo-electron microscopy data collection, available either in-house or through local core facilities, with regular accessibility.

We are seeking a creative, independent and driven individual with documented research experience related to this position. Candidates with solid research experience in structural biology and translation are encouraged to apply.

Cells employ protein liquid droplets to form dynamic clusters, which function as nanoreactors or storages with the increased local concentration of specific protein components. These membrane-less organelles self-assemble based on weak protein-protein interactions of intrinsically disordered domains. However, the role of specific sequences remains elusive and the mixing between different protein droplets unexplored. This project is focused on the droplets involved in genome transcription, where posttranslational modifications control the droplet composition and regulate the transcription. Expected findings are not only important for the general knowledge but could also be useful in the design of new treatments because translocation malfunction is involved in numerous diseases including cancer. The research is strongly coupled to collaborations with excellent experimental teams and will be more closely discussed during the interview. The employed tools will contain multi-scale simulations using a wide range of advanced sampling techniques and development of protein parametrization.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) possess the ability to disrupt the membrane barrier function, effectively eliminating bacteria, viruses, and even cancer cells. Consequently, AMPs have emerged as promising candidates for the development of a new class of therapeutics. However, the majority of known AMPs exhibit toxic properties due to their origin from human-unfriendly sources, such as venoms. Furthermore, our understanding of peptide targeting mechanisms towards specific pathogens and their membranes remains limited, hindering further advancements in this field.

This ERC funded project aims to identify peptide sequence motifs that are responsible for targeting pathogens, while maintaining minimal toxicity towards human cells. In conjunction with the lipid composition of membranes, we will investigate the impact of membrane local curvature. The main tool will be Molecular dynamics simulations with free energy calculations using Gromacs program package. These simulations will be complemented by in-house experiments providing crucial verification and feedback on peptide-membrane affinity. The acquired knowledge will guide the design of de novo peptides with enhanced pathogen-targeting specificity.

The researcher will mainly participate in research activity 3.2. Delaying growth proliferation arrest to increase seed yield to fulfil the objectives of the project’s work package No.3 – Reproduction (Reproductive Fitness under abiotic stress.

Sexual reproduction is one of the key determinants of crop yield. It takes place in flowers that differentiate from floral meristems during the generative phase of the plant life cycle. After fertilization, flowers give rise to seeds and fruits, the structures harvested in most crops. Certain phases of plant reproduction are extremely sensitive to abiotic stress, namely elevated temperatures and connected drought that cause decreased crop yield. Thus, understanding the processes that govern flowering and sexual reproduction and the basis of their sensitivity to abiotic stress is critical for the development of crops better adapted to climate change.

Mechanisms underlying the regulation of the inflorescence/floral meristem activity integrating various signal types (hormonal, temperature, nutritional) and controlling cessation of its activity (growth proliferation arrest) will be studied in Arabidopsis. The inflorescence meristem activity will be manipulated at the level of hormonal signaling, biosynthesis, or transport to increase seed production. This proof-of-concept study will indicate this approach’s viability for crop applications.

The researcher will be working under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Jan Hejátko, Ph.D., who has a long-term experience with research on the mechanisms underlying hormonal regulations and their importance in diverse aspects of plant development, including plant reproduction.

Masaryk University, the Faculty of Economics and Administration, is looking for a highly motivated and productive junior post-doctoral researcher in the field of health economics. Areas of particular interest include disease modelling, outcomes research, pharmacoeconomics, econometrics and health services research (incl. areas of preparedness, prevention, response and resilience to emerging health threats).

Excellent background in the latest empirical methods, as well as a desire to apply economic research to policy questions is expected. The candidate should be an independent researcher with a promising research agenda in the field of health economics or health services research. The postdoc’s primary responsibility is to conduct cutting-edge research in health economics.

This position is sponsored by the Platform for Biomedical and Economic Research, a research partnership of the Faculty of Economics and Administration of Masaryk University (ECON MUNI), the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB) of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education – Economics Institute (CERGE-EI) of the Czech Academy of Science and Charles University.

Ensure tasks in pursuit of research projects on organic pollutants in air, seawater and soil in the research group of Prof. Gerhard Lammel.

We offer varied work in a friendly international team in a top workplace, flexible working hours. The position is also suitable for people on/after parental leave, graduates or graduating students.

In the case of interest and mutual agreement, it is possible to combine the work with doctoral education and obtaining a PhD degree.

We are seeking postdoctoral candidates with background in social psychology, cross-cultural psychology, cognitive science, or social neuroscience to join a highly interdisciplinary project on the computational model of religious decision-making. The Computing Religious Devotion project (CREDO; see https://www.levyna.cz/en/about-us/research/credo-project) is a five-year project (2024-2028) funded by the Czech Science Foundation and is based at Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic).

The aim of the CREDO project is to develop a computational model of moral decision-making. In this model, religious belief, forged through religious practice, forms strong priors in the mind. When the mind simulates possible actions during decision-making, religious actions become readily available and likely selected due to their high value. To empirically develop the model, the CREDO project will determine how religious belief affects the strength of religious priors during normative decision-making in various laboratory and field studies. Moreover, in a large-scale cross-cultural study, the project will establish how beliefs and practices of different religious traditions affect cognitive computations during normative decisions. The goal of the CREDO project is to produce one of a kind, comprehensive model of how religions shape the mind.

The successful candidate will lead experimental testing of the predictions from the computational model of religious decision-making in cooperation with the Principal Investigator, Dr. Martin Lang and another postdoctoral researcher with strong formal modelling skills. Specifically, the successful candidate will design experiments probing cognitive processes during decision-making in moral dilemmas and determine how religious priors affect such decision-making. They will work in a fully equipped lab (EEG, fNIRS, BIOPAC) and at a field site in Mauritius. The candidate will be given significant responsibility and autonomy while also benefiting from the mentorship of the PI, playing a crucial role in forming the CREDO project as well as future research areas for the whole lab.