Postdoc in Architectural RNAs in Health and Disease; Technology Development

Job Title: Postdoc in Architectural RNAs in Health and Disease; Technology Development

Job Number: 54500

Location: Seattle, US

Job Description

Multiple NIH-funded postdoctoral positions are available in [Please click the Apply button for the link or email] at the University of Washington in Seattle, including a project jointly mentored by Charles Murry at UW’s Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine ([Please click the Apply button for the link or email]). We are looking for talented, curious, and collaborative colleagues who are excited about using cutting-edge genomics technologies to understand the spatial cell biology of RNA. Their projects will investigate the molecular mechanisms by which RNAs coordinate subcellular compartmentalization in biomolecular condensates like nucleoli, splicing speckles, and transcription condensates, and will reveal how these architectural processes are dysregulated in heart disease and cancer.

The Shechner Lab adopts a highly interdisciplinary approach that combines classical biochemistry and cell biology with modern chemical-biology, synthetic-biology, and experimental genomics tools. We specialize in the development of powerful, yet “democratized” new technologies that probe and modulate RNA function in situ (see: PMIDs [Please click the Apply button for the link or email], [Please click the Apply button for the link or email], [Please click the Apply button for the link or email], [Please click the Apply button for the link or email], and [Please click the Apply button for the link or email]). Our latest flagship method, O-MAP, applies proximity-restricted in situ biotinylation to individual RNA targets, revealing the proteins, RNAs, and genomic loci near these targets within their native cellular context, and at unprecedented depth and resolution:

[Please click the Apply button for the link or email]

Our ongoing projects now aim to use O-MAP to decipher the “molecular grammar” the drives the assembly, disassembly, and misassembly of RNA-mediated compartments. Our collaborative project with Charles Murry’s lab—a world leader in cardiac biology and stem cell therapeutics—aims to use O-MAP to dissect a “splicing factory” that is essential for cardiomyocyte development, and which is dysregulated in Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM; see PMID [Please click the Apply button for the link or email]). Other projects apply a similar approach to interrogate RNA-mediated compartments that regulate embryonic development, and metabolic, epigenetic- and stress-signaling programs. We are also continuing to develop the O-MAP toolkit in several novel directions.

Who we are: Recently established at UW, the [Please click the Apply button for the link or email] is a tightly knit and nimble group with a “startup-like” atmosphere that fosters creativity and collaboration. Our collaborations—with labs around the UW community and beyond—enable us to engage in groundbreaking work that spans multiple fields and disciplines, far beyond our core expertise in RNA biochemistry and genomics.

The University of Washington is a research powerhouse, routinely ranked as one of the world’s most innovative scientific institutions. It provides an unparalleled community of passionate, creative, and supportive colleagues, and ample resources and core facilities. We also offer among the highest postdoctoral salaries in the country, enabling a comfortable life in the vibrant city of Seattle.

Who you are:  Candidates must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genomics, Chemical Biology, or related fields, and must have fewer than five years’ postdoctoral experience. They must have strong communication skills and publications that indicate a track record of previous accomplishment. Expertise in RNA biology, chromatin biology and/or genomics technology development is preferred but not required. Candidates with prior training in RNA-FISH and/or bioinformatics analysis (e.g. Proteomics, RNA- and ChIP-Seq) are especially welcome. Candidates from traditionally underrepresented cultural, ethnic, religious, gender, or socioeconomic groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application Deadline: 2023-09-23