[posted for Peter Hegemann]
Dear Chlamy researchers and friends
could you please announce the following position
many thanks and success for 2007
Peter Hegemann
PhD and/or Postdoc position in Berlin
Expression and Spectroscopic Characterization of Channelrhodopsins
The behavior of green algae like Chlamydomonas in their light
environment is controlled predominantly by two sensory
photoreceptors, Channelrhodopsin-1 (ChR1) and Channelrhodopsins-2
(ChR2). Both were only recently found (1-4) and represent a new class
of rhodopsins with intrinsic ion conductance or, in other words, a
new class of ion channels with intrinsic light-activated gate. The
differential function of ChR1 and ChR2 is not completely clear, but
meanwhile it is known that both are involved in photophobic response
and phototaxis.
During the last 2 years Channelrhodopsins received enormous attention
by neurophysiologists who expressed ChR2 in various neuronal tissues,
where ChR2 allows generation of action potentials simply by light
(5,6).
For a detailed functional analysis we are inviting enthusiastic
candidates to over-express channelrhodopsins in yeast, in cell
culture systems (SF9, COS1) and in Chlamydomonas itself with the goal
to purify enough protein for spectroscopic studies or finally
structural analysis.
A solid background in molecular biology, and/or biophysics would be helpful.
We will provide the coolest city in Europe, a highly
interdisciplinary and international research group, and enough
support for any experiment that seems to be useful.
Candidates should send an application letter and CV to Peter
Hegemann, (Hegemann At rz.hu-berlin.de)
http://www.biologie.hu-berlin.de/expbp/
1) Ehlenbeck et al (2001) Evidence for a light-induced H+-conductance
in the eye of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Biophys. J.
82,740-751. 2) Nagel et al. (2002) Channelrhodopsin-1, a light-gated
proton channel in green algae. Science 296, 2395 - 2398. 3) Nagel et
al. (2003) Channelrhodopsin-2, a light-gated cation channel in green
algae. Proc. Natl. Sci USA 100 (24), 13940 - 13945. 4) Hegemann et
al. (2005) Multiple Photocycles of Channelrhodopsin. Biophys. J. 89,
3911-3918. 5) Zhang et al. (2006) Channelrhodopsin-2 and optical
control of excitable cells. Nat Methods. 3,785-92. 6) Parrish et al.
(2006) Manipulating proteins for neuroscience. Curr Opin Neurobiol.
16, 585-92.
