PI: Dr. Can Xie

Project Title: The molecular mechanism of magnetoreception and animal navigation

Project Description:

This job comes from a partnership with Beijing Computational Science Research Center (CSRC) and Xie Lab at Peking University (PKU), aiming at bridging biology and physics to resolve the molecular mechanism of magnetoreception and navigation in animals.

The project is an extension of our recently identified magnetoreceptor (designated as MagR) and the proposed biocompass model (Qin, et. al. Nature Materials, 2016). The project is designed to provide answers and insights to questions: What is the origin of magnetic moments of MagR? How the light- and magneto- perceptions are coupled in the Biocompass model? How to apply magnetic fields to modulate biological processes based on MagR?

Requirements: Ph.D. degree in Biology, or Biochemistry, or Biophysics, or related fields. We especially encourage candidates with research experience in protein purification, structural biology to apply for the position. Expertise in physics would be a plus, but not mandatory. The successful candidate must be creative, demonstrate an “out-of-the-box thinking” attitude, and possess strong problem-solving skills. As part of the collaborative team led by both biologists and physicists, the postdoc fellow will regularly interact with scientists from different disciplines, including but not limited to, protein biochemistry, biophysics, quantum biology, theoretical physics, and computational physics. Therefore, excellent communication skills are essential.

How to Apply: Applications are encouraged until the vacancy has been filled. Interested candidates please send a cover letter, a CV, with three recommendation letters to Dr. Can Xie ([email protected]) for any additional information.