Postdoc / Assistant Professor in computational biophysics: GōMartini 3 coarse-grained models for DNA and RNA

The Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences (IPPT PAN) in Warsaw is recruiting a postdoc/assistant professor for an NCN OPUS 29 project led by Dr hab. Adolfo Poma. DNA bends, twists, opens and wraps around proteins, and RNA folds into hairpins, junctions and G-quadruplexes; these conformational changes control how genetic information is stored, read and regulated but occur on scales out of reach for all-atom simulation.

The project extends the GōMartini 3 framework from proteins to DNA and RNA, combining Martini 3 chemical specificity with Gō contact networks, parametrised and validated against all-atom simulations, and applies it to DNA bending, base-pair opening, folding and protein–nucleic acid complexes such as nucleosomes. The postdoc will implement the model in MD packages (Gō contact maps, enhanced sampling, mechanical characterisation), run coarse-grained simulations, develop Python analysis tools and maintain GōMartini3-tools on GitHub, publish and present results, and help supervise PhD students.

Fixed-term contract for 36 months, extendable to 48, from 1 January 2027, at about PLN 9,300 gross per month under NCN OPUS 29 rules; competition number BSP-DSP.111.17.2026, decision expected in December 2026.

PhD in computational biophysics, chemistry or a related field with emphasis on MD simulations, obtained in the year of employment or within 12 years before 1 January of that year (NCN extensions apply); advanced knowledge of MD including Martini 3, AMBER/CHARMM nucleic-acid force fields and force-field development; familiarity with oxDNA, 3SPN, SIRAH or similar; OpenMM/GROMACS development, Python 3, Bash, C++ and/or Fortran, machine learning and HPC; good English.