The European Synchrotron, the ESRF, is an international research centre based in Grenoble, France.
Through its innovative engineering, pioneering scientific vision and a strong commitment from its 700 staff members, the ESRF is recognised as one of the top research facilities worldwide. Its particle accelerator produces intense X-ray beams that are used by thousands of scientists each year for experiments in diverse fields such as biology, medicine, environmental sciences, cultural heritage, materials science, and physics.
Supported by 19 countries, the ESRF is an equal opportunity employer and encourages diversity.
More than 60% of licensed therapeutic proteins are glycosylated, with glycosylation determining receptor binding and shaping the immune response. However, standard structural biology workflows routinely strip glycans away or ignore them entirely, leaving a blind spot in how these molecules are understood and designed. This project addresses this gap directly, with applications spanning cancer therapeutics, suppressors of autoimmune disease, and anti-viral treatments.
Exploiting the ESRF's high-brilliance source for in-solution scattering at the BM29 BioSWAXS beamline, which will soon be upgraded with a high-end in-vacuo WAXS detector (2027), you will develop and validate a computational pipeline. By combining the prediction of glycosylation states with GlycoShape, ensemble generation with Re-Glyco, and SWAXS-based scoring, you will aim to resolve glycan conformation and occupancy directly from solution scattering data. You will test the approach across four benchmark glycoprotein systems, including therapeutic antibody fragments, viral envelope immunogens, and IgG Fc glycoforms, each directly relevant to therapeutic development, biopharmaceutical quality control, or vaccine design.
Training spans two institutions: at Southampton, you will learn protein production, purification, LC-MS/MS glycan profiling, and receive training in computational glycobiology. At the ESRF, you will learn SWAXS data collection, beamline operation and model fitting, with the opportunity to engage with the international BM29 user community and explore synergies with neighbouring MXIS beamlines (X-ray crystallography on ID23/ID30, USAXS on ID02).
You will join the BM29 BioSAXS beamline team within the Macromolecular X-ray crystallography, Imaging and Scattering (MXIS) group at the ESRF (Grenoble, France), jointly with the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton (UK), co-supervised by Dr Hayden Fisher (ESRF, SWAXS scientist and integrative structural immunologist), Dr Elisa Fadda (Southampton, prediction and modelling of glycosylation) and Prof Ivo Tews (Southampton, biochemistry and structural biology).
You will graduate with a rare combination of wet-lab biochemistry, computational modelling and large-scale facility experience, having tackled a genuinely unresolved problem in structural biology with clear relevance to both academic research and the biopharmaceutical sector.
Fixed-term PhD contract, 4 years total (co-funded by the ESRF and University of Southampton). Year 1 may be based mainly at Southampton; Years 2-3 mainly at the ESRF; Year 4 would be flexible between sites.
Further information: Dr Hayden Fisher (email: [email protected])
- Degree enabling PhD enrolment in biochemistry, computational biosciences, biophysics, natural sciences, structural biology, or a closely related discipline.
- Genuine interest in integrative structural biology, bridging computational and experimental approaches.
- Prior experience in solution scattering, structural biology, computational protein modelling, or glycobiology is a strong advantage, though full training is provided for the right candidate.
- Comfort with, or willingness to learn, scientific programming (e.g. Python) for pipeline development and data analysis.
- Excellent written and spoken English (the ESRF's working language).
- Motivation to work independently and collaboratively across an international, multi-site team spanning two countries and institutional cultures.
Contract of two years renewable for one year.
Do you recognize yourself in this description? Apply now for your next professional adventure!What we offer:
- Join an innovative international research institute, with a workforce from 38 different countries
- Collaborate with global experts to advance science and address societal challenges
- Come and live in a vibrant city, in the heart of the Alps, and Europe's Green Capital 2022
- Enjoy a workplace designed to support your quality of life
- Benefit from our competitive compensation and allowances package, including financial support for your relocation to Grenoble For further information on employment terms and conditions, please refer to https://www.esrf.fr/home/Jobs/what-we-offer.html
The ESRF is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from disabled persons.
