Veronika Obšilová

I obtained my Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Charles University. Then I worked as a researcher at the Analytical Dept. of the Research Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry.  In 2005 I received my PhD in Medical Biophysics at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine of Charles University. Then I worked at the Institute of Physiology, where I built my own research group focusing on protein structure and function. Since 2010, I have been the Head of the Laboratory at the Institute of Physiology, located in the detached workplace BIOCEV in Vestec. I supervise PhD students in three PhD programs at Charles University. Six PhD students have successfully defended their PhDs under my supervision. Together with T. Obšil from the Faculty of Science, Charles Univ., we collaborate on projects based on a joint laboratory.

About the position

The successful candidate will be based at BioCeV – Institute of Physiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences in Vestec near Prague. The Postdoctoral fellow will join the research team of the Laboratory of Structural Biology of Signaling Proteins that is focused on providing a mechanistic understanding of how the biological activity of protein complexes is regulated using various biochemical and biophysical approaches. Various biochemical and biophysical methods including cryo-EM, protein crystallography, enzyme kinetics, analytical ultracentrifugation, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism and mass spectrometry are used as principal tools. Current projects involve structural studies of several protein complexes (e.g. 14-3-3 protein complexes with caspase-2, Nedd4-2 and kinases Ask1 and CaMKK). Our laboratory in Biocev has close collaboration with the Faculty of Science in Prague with the lab of prof. Obšil on the basis of a common laboratory. Our laboratory collaborates with The Medical University of Innsbruck, where the secondment is possible.

The key research infrastructure and equipment of this research group include all necessary equipment for large-scale expression of recombinant proteins in E. coli cells, protein purification and functional assays (two AKTA FPLC, Multitron shakers, UV-VIS spectrophotometers, steady-state fluorescence spectrophotometer, a real-time PCR LightCycler 480 II) and all necessary equipment for protein crystallization and crystal handling and freezing. The research infrastructure at BIOCEV includes core facilities for mass-spectrometry (Bruker Daltonics 15T-Solarix XR FT-ICR mass spectrometer) where XL-MS and HDX-MS experiments will be performed, electron microscopy for preliminary sample screening (Jeol JEM 2100) and X-ray crystallography (crystallization robot ArtRobbins Gryphon dropsetter, Formulatrix RI 1000 crystallization hotel, Bruker D8 Venture diffractometer). Cryo-electron microscopes with capacity for high-resolution data collection are available at CEITEC (Brno, Czech Rep.) or through the Instruct-ERIC infrastructure program. The server for analysis of cryo-EM data is available for our group in Biocev.

The fellow will be working on elucidation of the molecular basis of ASK1 regulation with different binding partners, such as TRAF2 and Daxx by using integrative structural biology methods, in particular cryo-EM, H/D exchange coupled to MS. Experience with expression of recombinant proteins is a requirement. Through collaborative secondment, the fellow will have the opportunity to visit the laboratory of prof. Michel Aussellechner, The Medical University Innsbruck, Austria. Given the main focus of our research group, the expected outputs of the fellowship are high-level scientific publications.

The potential candidate should hold a PhD degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, physical chemistry, structural biology or similar related field. The candidate should be able work independently with a proactive attitude, excellent communication skills, and be prone to teamwork.

We offer a full time position for two years, competitive salary, six weeks of vacation, work in a multidisciplinary young gender balanced international team in a modern working environment in Biocev campus near Prague.

Jiří Paleček

I graduated from the Medical Faculty at Charles University in Prague. In my work, I concentrate on research of pain mechanisms and therapy at the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. My interest in pain research started at the University of Texas Medical Branch, USA during my stay as a visiting scientist in the years 1990-93 and 1999-2002. I am the head of the Department of Pain research at the Institute of Physiology CAS from 2002 (originally Functional morphology). The major interest of my research is to study the influence of synaptic transmission modulation at the spinal cord level on the development of pathological pain states. The goal is to find new therapeutic options for pain treatment without the unwanted side effects. The focus of my group is on the role of TRPV1 receptors and pathological neuroinflammatory changes. We use mainly electrophysiological, optogenetic, immunohistochemical and behavioral methods.

About the position

The successful candidate will be based at the Laboratory of Pain research at the Institute of Physiology Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, located in BIOCEV, under the supervision of Jiri Palecek MD, PhD., head of the laboratory.

The main research interest of the department is to study mechanisms of pain and to explore new possibilities of pain treatment, especially in chronic states. Our experimental work is concentrated on the modulation of nociceptive information at the spinal cord level that is the first relay center between the periphery and the higher brain areas. The goal is to study these modulatory mechanisms in order to improve therapy for neuropathic and cancer related pain. In our research we use mainly electrophysiological, immunohistochemical and behavioral methods with the employment of different models of neuropathic (nerve injury, chemotherapy, diabetes) and inflammatory pain in control and transgenic animals.

The postdoctoral fellow will use electrophysiological recordings from spinal cord slices, optical imaging from neuronal cultures, behavioral tests and molecular biology techniques. Experience with these methods and with viral transfection in vivo for optogenetic manipulation of synaptic transmission and siRNA approaches for targeted inactivation of genes of interest would be of advantage. The postdoctoral fellow will also have the opportunity to visit our international collaborators (Imperial College London, University of Innsbruck, University of Texas) through international secondments or have the opportunity to carry out secondments in the non-academic sector. We offer a full time position for two years with highly competitive salary.

Given the main focus of our research group, the expected outputs of the fellowship are high-level scientific publications. We therefore seek for this position a highly motivated candidate with a PhD degree in biological, medical or chemical sciences interested to study pain mechanisms, fluent in English (or Czech). Previous experience with the described experimental techniques and/or pain field research are of advantage.

Tomáš Obšil

I received my MSc and PhD degrees in Physical Chemistry from Charles University in 1998. I then spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow in Fred Dyda’s group at NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA, focusing on the structural biology of 14-3-3 protein complexes. Subsequently, I returned to the Faculty of Science, Charles University, where I established the laboratory of Biophysical chemistry of protein complexes. I was appointed Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry in 2007 and Full Professor of Physical Chemistry in 2014. Since 2018 I am the Head of the Dept. of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Charles Univ. I am the coordinator of the Physical chemistry PhD program and lecturer at the Faculty of Science, Charles Univ. I have nine successfully defended PhD students.

About the position

The successful candidate will be based at BioCeV – Institute of Physiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences in Vestec near Prague. The Postdoctoral fellow will join the research team of the Laboratory of Structural Biology of Signaling Proteins that is focused on providing a mechanistic understanding of how the biological activity of protein complexes is regulated using various biochemical and biophysical approaches. Various biochemical and biophysical methods including cryo-EM, protein crystallography, enzyme kinetics, analytical ultracentrifugation, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism and mass spectrometry are used as principal tools. Current projects involve structural studies of several protein complexes (e.g. 14-3-3 protein complexes with caspase-2, Nedd4-2 and kinases Ask1 and CaMKK). Our laboratory in Biocev has close collaboration with the Faculty of Science in Prague with the lab of prof. Obšil on the basis of a common laboratory. Our laboratory collaborates with The Medical University of Innsbruck, where the secondment is possible.

The key research infrastructure and equipment of this research group include all necessary equipment for large-scale expression of recombinant proteins in E. coli cells, protein purification and functional assays (two AKTA FPLC, Multitron shakers, UV-VIS spectrophotometers, steady-state fluorescence spectrophotometer, a real-time PCR LightCycler 480 II) and all necessary equipment for protein crystallization and crystal handling and freezing. The research infrastructure at BIOCEV includes core facilities for mass-spectrometry (Bruker Daltonics 15T-Solarix XR FT-ICR mass spectrometer) where XL-MS and HDX-MS experiments will be performed, electron microscopy for preliminary sample screening (Jeol JEM 2100) and X-ray crystallography (crystallization robot ArtRobbins Gryphon dropsetter, Formulatrix RI 1000 crystallization hotel, Bruker D8 Venture diffractometer). Cryo-electron microscopes with capacity for high-resolution data collection are available at CEITEC (Brno, Czech Rep.) or through the Instruct-ERIC infrastructure program. The server for analysis of cryo-EM data is available for our group in Biocev.

The fellow will be working on elucidation of the molecular basis of ASK1 regulation with different binding partners, such as TRAF2 and Daxx by using integrative structural biology methods, in particular cryo-EM, H/D exchange coupled to MS. Experience with expression of recombinant proteins is a requirement. Through collaborative secondment, the fellow will have the opportunity to visit the laboratory of prof. Michel Aussellechner, The Medical University Innsbruck, Austria. Given the main focus of our research group, the expected outputs of the fellowship are high-level scientific publications.

The potential candidate should hold a PhD degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, physical chemistry, structural biology or similar related field. The candidate should be able work independently with a proactive attitude, excellent communication skills, and be prone to teamwork.

We offer a full time position for two years, competitive salary, six weeks of vacation, work in a multidisciplinary young gender balanced international team in a modern working environment in Biocev campus near Prague.

Pavel Adámek

Since my PhD at Charles University in Prague, I have studied neuroscience, focusing on nociception and pain mechanisms. I aim to understand the complexity of nociceptive and pain processing at the spinal cord and primary sensory neuron level to find new therapeutic targets for pathologic pain treatment. After finishing my PhD in 2019, I received a two-year postdoctoral stipend from the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) at the Institute of Physiology (IPHYS) in the Laboratory of Pain Research, Prague. Since 2021, I have worked as a post-doc at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). During my career, I have been involved in several international projects in collaboration with Texas University MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston and Imperial College London. My main research achievements so far are related to the study of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain and inflammatory pain.
Receiving the MERIT fellowship allows me to come back to the Czech Republic after almost four years at UKE Hamburg to work at the BIOCEV in the team of Dr. Paleček (Laboratory of Pain Research, IPHYS CAS, Vestec), face new scientific challenges, and expand my research perspectives. My goal will be to study and compare nociceptive mechanisms during pathological pain states in animal and human-based models. This comparative approach can significantly help to transfer our findings to the clinical praxis in the future and help patients suffering from chronic pain not only in the Czech Republic.
I am confident that during the MERIT fellowship, I will improve my expertise in scientific techniques, project management, communication, and leadership skills to enhance my future career prospects. I plan to apply for follow-up funding and develop the ability to establish a research group in the future.