PhD Position: Protein Interaction with Chiral Gold Nanoparticles

A PhD position is available in the framework of the ERC-Synergy grant Chiral-Pro, GA nº 101166855. The research, which will be carried out at CIC biomaGUNE, in San Sebastián (Spain), focuses on the study of the interaction and assembly of amyloid proteins with (chiral) gold nanoparticles as a function of the physicochemical environment.

CHIRAL-PRO, supported by the European Research Council (ERC) and in collaboration with the University of Antwerp, the University of Michigan and the University of Vigo, is aimed at the tailored formation of handshake complexes (with chirality-directed recognition) between chiral nanoparticles and proteins or protein assemblies. Within this project, the proposed predoctoral research will focus on experimental investigation of the role of environmental factors and of chiral nanoparticles on protein interaction dynamics in biologically relevant systems.

The proposed research line will focus on tracking the dynamics of amyloid proteins how they form oligomers and incipient aggregates on biological membranes using time-lapse atomic force microscopy in liquid environments. First, the influence of the physicochemical environment-including metabolites, salt ions, and pH-on the nanoscale diffusion, force and topography of amyloid proteins and their assemblies will be investigated on biological membranes of different compositions. Subsequently, the interaction between amyloid proteins and chiral gold nanoparticles of different morphologies will be deciphered. Third, the collective influence of the physicocehmical environemnt and chiral nanoparticles on amyloid protein dynamics and assembly will be elucidated.