Max Planck Dioscuri Postdoc: Structural Biology at XFELs

STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY  ·  DIOSCURI CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE  ·  MAX PLANCK SOCIETY PARTNERSHIP

Postdoctoral Researcher in Time-Resolved Structural Biology

Structural Dynamics of Cyanobacterial Halorhodopsins

POSITION DETAILS AT A GLANCE

• Duration: Full-time, up to 4.5 years. Fully funded, no teaching.
• Salary: 130,700 PLN gross/year (≈ €30,000) — highly competitive; Kraków's cost of living is 40–50% lower than major Western European cities.
• Focus: 100% research, no teaching obligations.
• Funding: NCN SONATA BIS grant (> €1 million) — fully secured and active.
• Language: The lab operates entirely in English — no Polish required.
• Deadline: Rolling review; apply by 31 May 2026 for full consideration.

THE SCIENCE
Every time a photoreceptor protein absorbs a photon of light, a cascade of atomic rearrangements unfolds — driving ions across membranes, powering energy conversion, and enabling life in extreme environments. We make molecular movies of these events, at atomic resolution, using time-resolved serial crystallography at X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) and synchrotrons.

This position, funded by an NCN SONATA BIS grant exceeding €1 million, focuses on the structural dynamics and chloride transport mechanism of halorhodopsins — light-driven chloride pumps — across distinct microbial lineages. You will lead all work on our target cyanobacterial halorhodopsin (cHR).

The halorhodopsin is a scientifically compelling target: it carries a unique TSD motif at its chromophore-binding positions (contrasting with the NTQ motif of marine bacteria and the TSA of archaea), can be switched to a proton pump with a single point mutation, and shows possible capacity to transport the polyatomic divalent sulfate ion — a genuinely unexpected and mechanistically unexplained capability. Its structural dynamics have never been resolved at the level of atomic detail this project will achieve.

Using TR-SFX at European XFEL and SwissFEL, and TR-SSX at MAX IV and ESRF, you will capture sequential structural intermediates of the cHR's photocycle from 200 femtoseconds to tens of milliseconds — the first experimentally derived molecular movie of chloride transport in a cyanobacterial rhodopsin. These data will be directly compared with the mechanistic model for marine bacterium NmHR (Mous et al., Science, 2022) to reveal how evolutionary distance translates into mechanistic diversity.

A RUNNING START — WHAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE
The most significant risk in any structural biology project — the months-long bottleneck of establishing protein production and crystallisation — has already been eliminated. Expression, purification, and crystallisation protocols for the cHR are fully established and operational in the Nogly Lab. Diffracting crystals at 2.3 Å resolution, confirmed stable at 20°C and suitable for time-resolved experiments, are in hand. You join a project that is scientifically ready to advance into high-impact structural experiments from day one.

Ready for you:

• cHR overexpression and purification: Reproduced in Kraków, full SDS-PAGE and SEC confirmed.
• Diffracting cHR crystals in lipidic bicelles: 2.3 Å resolution; crystals stable at 20°C for time-resolved work.
• NmHR crystallisation at 1.5 Å resolution: The direct mechanistic reference for cHR comparison.
• SAD anomalous dispersion methodology: Established on NmHR (Science 2022), ready for cHR halide-pathway tracing.
• SwissFEL beamtime: Plus 9 days at MAX IV (microMAX) secured in current run.
• Gryphon-LCP crystallisation robot in-house: Plus full core facility access at adjacent Małopolska Centre for Biotechnology.

WHAT YOU WILL DO
You will drive the full experimental workflow for cHR — from sample optimisation to publication — supported by the PI and a strong international collaboration network:
1. Scale up cHR production for serial crystallography. Optimise crystal size, homogeneity, and delivery method (fixed-target chips and high-viscosity injectors).
2. Collect radiation-damage-free resting-state SFX structures at XFEL and room-temperature SSX structures at synchrotron, as references for dynamic data.
3. Conduct TR-SSX experiments at MAX IV and ESRF to capture microsecond-to-millisecond structural intermediates of the chloride transport cycle.
4. Conduct TR-SFX at European XFEL and SwissFEL to resolve femtosecond-to-microsecond dynamics, including retinal photoisomerisation and early transport events.
5. Perform SAD anomalous dispersion tracing of the halide transport pathway (Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻). Direct comparison of cHR pathway with that of NmHR.
6. Use mutagenesis, functional transport assays (already established), and time-resolved spectroscopy (with Prof. Heberle, FU Berlin) to validate the transport mechanism.
7. Integrate findings with QM/MM energetics (Prof. Schapiro, TU Dortmund); manuscript preparation and publication in high-impact journals.

KEY PUBLICATIONS
Science · 2022 | Dynamics and mechanism of a light-driven chloride pump — Mous, Gotthard ... Nogly · TR-SFX + TR-SSX · Direct scientific predecessor of this position.
Nature · 2023 | Ultrafast structural changes direct the first molecular events of vision — Gruhl, Weinert ... Nogly … Panneels · TR-SFX of visual bovine rhodopsin.
Nature · 2020 | Femtosecond-to-millisecond structural changes in a light-driven sodium pump — Skopintsev ... Nogly…Standfuss · Complete photocycle movie of KR2.
Science · 2018 | Retinal isomerization in bacteriorhodopsin captured by a femtosecond X-ray laser — Nogly … Standfuss · First capture of retinal photoisomerization.
Science · 2019 | Proton uptake mechanism in bacteriorhodopsin captured by serial synchrotron crystallography — Weinert ... Nogly…Standfuss · First TR-SSX of a rhodopsin.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required:
- PhD in structural biology, biochemistry, biophysics, or closely related field (awarded or imminent).
- Experience in protein expression, purification, and biochemical characterisation.
- Background in X-ray crystallography, or demonstrated commitment to develop these skills rapidly.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
- Self-driven and rigorous — genuine ownership of a project from sample to manuscript.

Valued (Not Required):
- Membrane protein biochemistry; lipidic cubic phase or bicelle crystallisation.
- Serial crystallography (SFX or SSX) or synchrotron/XFEL beamtime experience.
- CrystFEL, CCP4, or Phenix familiarity.
- Scripting skills (Python, bash).
- Interest in photochemistry, optogenetics, or ion transport biophysics.

Experience in novel time-resolved serial crystallography is globally rare — we do not expect you to arrive with it. We expect rigour, motivation, and scientific ambition. Training in all required techniques is provided. We welcome applications from candidates across biochemistry, chemistry, physics, and related fields.

THE LAB, MENTORING, AND YOUR CAREER
The Nogly Lab is a Dioscuri Centre of Scientific Excellence , co-funded by the Max Planck Society and the Polish National Science Centre — a programme designed to build fully independent, internationally competitive research groups in Poland. For you, this means the ambition, resources, and international network of a major European research programme, combined with a genuinely collaborative and supportive group culture.

Przemysław mentors with a clear philosophy: postdocs receive real autonomy to develop their own scientific judgment, with direct and committed PI support during intensive phases — beamtimes, key decision points, and difficult problems. Weekly group seminars, an open-door culture, and a flat hierarchy mean people here learn from each other.

Beyond the science, regular team activities — from kayaking and go-karting to team dinners — build a lab environment where people thrive both professionally and personally (see: noglylab.eu/beyond-the-bench ). Alumni from this group have gone on to scientist positions at leading institutions SLAC/Stanford, SLS/SwissFEL. Career development is taken seriously: postdocs are actively supported in building their next step, whether an independent research group, a senior scientist role, or industry.

International Collaboration Network:

• Prof. Joachim Heberle· FU Berlin — time-resolved UV-Vis and IR spectroscopy in crystals and solution.
• Prof. Igor Schapiro · TU Dortmund — QM/MM calculations and mechanistic interpretation.
• Dr. Ramona Schlesinger · FU Berlin — halorhodopsin sample production expertise.

See our recent back-to-back beamtimes at European XFEL and SwissFEL: noglylab.eu/two-xfel-beamtimes .

WHAT WE OFFER
Employment & Benefits:

• Full-time contract · up to 4.5 years · fully funded (€1M+ grant).
• Annual gross salary: 130,700 PLN (approximately €30,000 — highly competitive for Kraków, where cost of living is ~40–50% lower than Munich or Zurich).
• 36 days of annual leave.
• 100% research focus · no teaching obligations.
• Additional private medical care (reduced rate; public included) and MultiSport card.
• English-speaking administrative support throughout.

Science & Development:

• Active beamtime: European XFEL · SwissFEL · MAX IV.
• Gryphon-LCP crystallisation robot in-house.
• Małopolska Centre for Biotechnology Structural Biology Core Facility (adjacent).
• Solaris (Polish national synchrotron) nearby in Kraków.
• Funded conference and workshop attendance.
• Extensive networking opportunities.
• First-author publications in top journals.
• Academic mentoring and career development support.

LIFE IN KRAKÓW
Kraków is consistently ranked among Europe's most liveable cities — a UNESCO World Heritage site with a vibrant university culture, an outstanding restaurant and cultural scene, and direct access to the Tatra Mountains for hiking, skiing, and climbing. The cost of living is substantially lower than in Western Europe.

Knowledge of Polish is not required: the lab works entirely in English, and we assist new arrivals with accommodation, city registration, and all administrative steps. Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. The Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology occupies a modern building on the University's 600th Anniversary Campus. Researchers who come to Kraków for a postdoc often find themselves staying longer than planned.

HOW TO APPLY
1. Visit our noglylab.eu/join-us page for additional details. Prepare a single PDF containing: your CV (with full publication list), a cover letter of no more than one page explaining your background and what draws you to this project, and contact details for two referees.
2. Submit via the application link on this Nature Careers page. Rolling review — apply by 31 May 2026 for full consideration.
3. You are also welcome to write directly before applying: przemyslaw.nogly@uj.edu.pl — we respond to all strong candidates.

We are committed to an inclusive, welcoming research environment. Applications from candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged. Please contact us with any access requirements.

Nogly Lab  ·  noglylab.eu   ·  noglylab.eu/join-us

Dioscuri Centre for Structural Dynamics of Receptors  ·  Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology

Jagiellonian University  ·  Kraków, Poland

Funded by the National Science Centre (NCN) SONATA BIS programme

Dioscuri programme initiated by the Max Planck Society, jointly managed with the NCN,

funded by the Polish Ministry of Education and Science and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research