PhD thesis in Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry

Molecular Mechanism of Bacterial Survival against Intruders

Prof. Motomu Tanaka, Biophys. Chem. II and BIOQUANT, Univ. Heidelberg

The primary goal of the project is to quantitatively determine the molecular mechanism of bacterial survival in the presence of multivalent ions and antibacterial peptides. Changes in the carbohydrate chain conformation in the presence/absence of mono- and multivalent ions and peptides can be detected from the electron density profiles reconstructed from grazing-incidence diffuse x-ray scattering results, while the adsoption of ions to charged lipopolysaccharides will be detected by grazing incidence x-ray fluorescence. The electrostatics of the obtained structure is fully complementary to the theoretical modeling based on linearlized Poisson-Boltzmann’s theorem. Furthermore, the impact of ions and peptides on the mechanical properties of the lipopolysaccharide will quantitatively be monitored by a unique interfacial stress rheometer in our laboratory.

This is an interdisciplinary collaboration project with Research Center Borstel and Canadian Center of Excellence (Advanced Foods and Materials Network), involving scientists from microbiology, biochemistry, and theoretical physics. X-ray scattering experiments will be conducted at European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Grenoble).

The applicant is supposed to possess basic knowledge in physics or physical chemistry, preferably with some training in biological sciences.

If you have interests, please contact:

Prof. M. Tanaka (Tanaka@uni-heidelberg.de)

Dipl.-Phys. Emanuel Schneck (schneck@uni-heidelberg.de)