PhD Position - Engineering Membrane Proteins and Nanopores for Bioelectronics

About the role

We are seeking a motivated PhD student to design and characterize membrane proteins, nanopores, and ion channels for in‑vitro bioelectronic applications. The project combines computational protein design with experimental validation and aims to integrate engineered proteins into functional bio‑electronic devices.

Key responsibilities

• Use state‑of‑the‑art computational tools to engineer novel membrane proteins and nanopores.
• Express, purify and biophysically characterize designed proteins using techniques such as electrophysiology, fluorescence assays, SEC and CD spectroscopy.
• Validate structures with cryo‑EM, X‑ray crystallography or NMR and generate large datasets.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate proteins into bioelectronic systems.
• Document results and present findings within the VIB‑VUB Center and the RosettaCommons community.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Biochemistry, Protein Engineering, Structural Biology, Biophysics, Biotechnology or a related field.
• Strong experimental background in protein biochemistry, structural biology or biophysics.
• Interest in learning and applying computational protein design methods.
• Ability to work independently and in an international, interdisciplinary environment.
• Excellent written and spoken English communication skills.

Required skills

• Protein expression, purification and characterization.
• Electrophysiology, fluorescence assays, size‑exclusion chromatography, circular dichroism spectroscopy.
• Computational protein design and modelling.
• Use of cryo‑electron microscopy, X‑ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and high‑performance computing (preferred).

What we offer

• Access to cutting‑edge infrastructure including cryo‑EM, X‑ray, NMR and HPC resources.
• Collaboration with leading experts in protein engineering, structural biology and bioelectronics.
• Training and networking opportunities within the RosettaCommons community.
• An interdisciplinary research environment at the VIB‑VUB Center for Structural Biology.