Postdoctoral studies in EV engineering (scholarship) - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

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The Department of Laboratory Medicine consists of seven divisions and is active in many areas of Laboratory Medicine. The department is involved in advanced basic scientific, clinical and epidemiological research. The department is one of the largest departments of education at Karolinska Institutet.

Division

Activities at the Division of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine (BCM) focus on the application of modified biomolecules, cells and cell products as novel therapy agents as well as the identification and study of appropriate biomolecular and cellular targets for therapy and diagnosis.

Our research efforts in the EL Andaloussi´s lab focus on one of the greatest challenges facing modern therapeutics; the delivery of macromolecules to target cells in vivo. Despite the unprecedented knowledge of diseases and their mechanisms due to advances in biomedical sciences; many promising therapeutic approaches are still clinically unavailable. This is simply because there is no efficient means of delivering these therapeutics to the right organ with the right dose. Our research performance involves developing novel and innovative drug delivery technologies that can carry proteins, RNAs, or gene therapies to the target tissues safely and efficiently. Thus, we engineer exosomes with enhanced delivery and targeting capacities and screen our wide array of exosome designs in disease-relevant cellular and animal models. In this project, we will develop novel engineered EVs that permits improved imaging in vitro and in vivo. The project also involve engineering of EVs for delivery of gene editing modalities. This is a collaborative project with labs at Chalmers and Gothenburg university, funded by Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation.

Duties

Within your postdoctoral studies in this project, you will develop novel engineered EVs that permits for improved EV imaging in vitro and in vivo. The project also involves engineering of EVs for delivery of gene editing modalities.

Most of the studies will initially be conducted utilizing cell lines. It will involve developing stable cell lines for production of EVs engineered to harbor reporter proteins, with or without a therapeutic/targeting domain. The stable cells will be used to produce EVs to compare their uptake efficiency and impact on recipient cells. Next, the therapeutically engineered EVs loaded with gene editing modalities will be tested in vitro and in vivo.

Entry requirements

Scholarships for postdoctoral qualification can be established for foreign researchers who place their qualifications in Sweden. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after a doctorate or equivalent.
A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years within a four year period following the receipt of a doctoral degree or equivalent.
To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the person must have obtained a doctorate or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctorate. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) start date of the post doctoral education.

The head of the department determines whether their previous training and scholarly qualifications correspond to a Swedish doctorate or higher.

The applicant should have a solid background in cell biology and extensive experience from cell culture work. The position requires practical lab experience in the following additional areas; molecular cloning, production and purification of engineered EVs, RNA and protein analysis with qPCR and flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy. Experience from RNA sequencing- and bioinformatics as well as preclinical work in rodents is highly meritorious. In addition, excellent proficiency in both spoken and written English is important.

We are looking for an energetic and passionate person who fits in, and actively contributes to our team. Strong collaborative skills is a requirement.

Location: Flemingsberg, Huddinge

Type of scholarship

The amount is tax free and it is set for twelve months at a time, paid out on a six months basis. In exceptional cases, shorter periods may be acceptable.

Application process

An application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• A complete curriculum vitae, including date of the thesis defence, title of the thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
• A complete list of publications
• A summary of current work (no more than one page)

The application is to be submitted on the Varbi recruitment system at the latest 11 December.

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