Molecular architecture of transient interactions in transcription elongation

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join our Chromatin Structural Biology laboratory to investigate how dynamic protein–protein interactions control transcription elongation in chromatin.

Transcription by RNA polymerase II relies on a dense network of transient yet selective interactions mediated by intrinsically disordered regions and short linear motifs. These interactions enable rapid, cooperative assembly of elongation complexes on chromatin, but their molecular organization remains poorly understood. This PhD project will address this fundamental question by focusing on IWS1, a conserved transcription elongation factor that functions as a central interaction hub.

The goal of this project is to determine how IWS1 organizes and regulates transcription elongation complexes through its modular domains and intrinsically disordered regions. We will test how dynamic, multivalent interactions drive partner selection, cooperativity, and chromatin engagement of elongation factors. Using an integrative structural biology approach, the project aims to develop a mechanistic model of how transient interactions provide precise control of transcription elongation in a nucleosomal environment.

Study program: Developmental and cell biology