Postdoctoral Fellow - Structural Biology and Cytoskeletal Remodeling - Chaaban Lab

Postdoctoral Fellow – Structural Biology and Cytoskeletal Remodeling – Chaaban Lab

Salary:
From £47,500 per annum with benefits, subject to skills and experience.

Contract:

Full-time, fixed-term (4 years).

Closing date: 15 November 2026 at 23:59.

Reports to:

Sami Chaaban, Group Leader.

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world‑class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions.

We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure, cutting‑edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high‑quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

We are seeking a curious and motivated postdoctoral researcher to join the Cytoskeletal Coordination Laboratory, opening in January 2027 at the Francis Crick Institute. Our lab investigates how molecular machines build, remodel and dismantle the cytoskeleton. We are particularly interested in how these activities are coordinated during cell division, when cells must reorganise their internal architecture and ultimately separate into two daughter cells.

We combine biochemistry, structural biology and quantitative microscopy to connect molecular organisation with biological function. As an early member of the lab, you will have the opportunity to shape the research programme, establish experimental approaches and contribute to an open and supportive research environment. You will work closely with Sami while developing your own ideas and scientific independence, supported by the Crick’s scientific platforms and research community.

The successful candidate will investigate how protein machines remodel microtubules. The project will address two linked questions: how these complexes assemble and engage microtubules to couple chemical energy to structural changes, and how interactions with partner proteins regulate their activity. Cryo-electron microscopy will be a major component of the project, alongside reconstitution with purified proteins and fluorescence microscopy. By determining structures of complexes in different functional states and testing the resulting predictions experimentally, you will help explain how molecular interactions drive microtubule remodelling.

There will be scope to develop complementary approaches and connect these mechanisms to their functions in cells. We encourage applications from researchers studying other molecular systems who can bring relevant expertise and a fresh perspective. Training will support the development of complementary skills.

• Developing and leading a research project investigating the molecular mechanisms of cytoskeletal remodeling.
• Producing and characterising recombinant proteins and protein complexes, and establishing assays to measure their interactions and activity.
• Using cryo-EM and computational image analysis to investigate the organisation and conformational states of molecular assemblies.
• Integrating structural findings with biochemical and fluorescence microscopy experiments…