Postdoc position in Molecular Biology & Biophysics

**Postdoc position in Molecular Biology & Biophysics** ====================================================== #### **100%, Zurich, fixed-term** The Wieczorek Group at the Institute of Molecular Biology & Biophysics at ETH Zurich investigates the physical principles underlying the self-assembly of complex intracellular structures from biomolecules. The group uses the microtubule cytoskeleton as a model system. We apply state-of-the-art methods in structural biology, in vitro biochemical reconstitutions, and single molecule biophysics to understand how diverse multi-microtubule assemblies form from a common tubulin “building block”. The results of our work are important for understanding the molecular basis of diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration, which are often directly linked to defects in microtubule network assembly. **Project background** ---------------------- Current projects in the lab build upon previous work by the Wieczorek Group on the structure and biophysics of microtubules and their associated protein complexes, including the gamma-tubulin ring complex (gamma-TuRC), a huge multiprotein assembly that nucleates and organizes microtubules in cells. We are interested in exploring the following open questions: 1) How does the gamma-TuRC regulate microtubule architecture? 2) How do gamma-TuRC co-factors interact with and regulate the various biochemical functions of the complex? 3) How are various microtubule networks properly established and regulated by the gamma-TuRC in conjunction with tubulin and other microtubule-associated proteins? The successful candidate will have the opportunity to explore these and other fundamental questions as the basis of their postdoctoral project in the group. Some of our recent work: * Krutyholowa et al., bioRxiv (2026) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.03.742184v1 * Cai et al., Science Advances (2025) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41061066/ * Xu et al., Developmental Cell (2024) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39321808/ * Zhang et al., Acta Crystallographica D (2026) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.24.703950v1 * Cai et al., bioRxiv (2026) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.11.731632v1 **Job description** ------------------- We are looking for an exceptional postdoctoral candidate to work on the structure and biophysics of microtubules and their associated protein complexes. The successful candidate will be expected to lead an independent project while contributing actively to a highly dynamic and collaborative research environment. In addition to a fully-equipped wet lab for specimen preparation, the successful candidate will have access to state-of-the-art electron microscopes, including three 300 kV TFS Titan Krios instruments with Gatan K2 or K3 detectors and imaging filters; focused ion beam milling instrumentation, including a TFS Arctis plasma-FIB; and established large-scale storage and GPU computing infrastructure within th