A PhD scholarship in nucleic acid replication for proto-cells is available at the Center for Funda-mental Living Technology (FLinT), Department of Physics & Chemistry, University of Southern Denmark.
We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled candidate to work on an interdisciplinary project aimed at studying the replication of information in the absence of enzymes. In particular, we are interested in developing this type of reaction to amplify the information component of a proto-cell, i.e. a minimal self-replicating chemical system composed of a container, an information system and a metabolic unit. Information replication is defined here as the non-enzymatic replication of nucleic acid through photo-induced ligation of two oligomers on a template while these various molecules are interacting with the proto-cell container, an amphiphile bilayer. This type of reaction is neces-sary to achieve successful proto-cellular life cycles with the FLinT design.
The successful candidate is expected to develop this non-enzymatic, template-directed replication of a nucleic acid on fatty acid vesicles, utilizing ruthenium trisbipyridine as photosensitizer. This work will be centred on some syntheses, characterization of the interactions between nucleic acids and amphiphile structures during replication processes, and the analysis of the nucleic acid products.
Application deadline is 20 January, 2011 at 12 o’clock noon.
Please see the full call, including how to apply, on www.sdu.dk/vacancies.
We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled candidate to work on an interdisciplinary project aimed at studying the replication of information in the absence of enzymes. In particular, we are interested in developing this type of reaction to amplify the information component of a proto-cell, i.e. a minimal self-replicating chemical system composed of a container, an information system and a metabolic unit. Information replication is defined here as the non-enzymatic replication of nucleic acid through photo-induced ligation of two oligomers on a template while these various molecules are interacting with the proto-cell container, an amphiphile bilayer. This type of reaction is neces-sary to achieve successful proto-cellular life cycles with the FLinT design.
The successful candidate is expected to develop this non-enzymatic, template-directed replication of a nucleic acid on fatty acid vesicles, utilizing ruthenium trisbipyridine as photosensitizer. This work will be centred on some syntheses, characterization of the interactions between nucleic acids and amphiphile structures during replication processes, and the analysis of the nucleic acid products.
Application deadline is 20 January, 2011 at 12 o’clock noon.
Please see the full call, including how to apply, on www.sdu.dk/vacancies.