Research Specialist in bioengineering - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Laboratory Medicine consists of seven divisions in which both research and teaching are conducted. The department is involved in advanced research in both basic and applied research. The Division of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine focuses on the use of modified biomolecules, cells and cell products as novel therapeutic agents and the identification and study of suitable biomolecular and cellular targets for therapy and diagnosis.

Currently, Assistant Professor Joel Nordin's research group is looking for a research specialist for a permanent position.

Description of the subject area

Our research in the Nordin laboratory focuses on one of the biggest challenges of modern therapy, namely delivery. There is today no effective way to deliver these therapies to the right organ at the right dose. The Nordin Group develops innovative cell and gene therapies for advanced applications. With our new system, we believe we will be able to radically increase the targeting capacity. With increased targeting, we can begin to realize the potential for delivery of EVs to hard-to-reach tissues, such as the CNS and bone marrow.

Your mission

As a research specialist, you will work on the development of biotechnological targeted nanoparticles.
Most of the research will be carried out using cell lines and animal models. The overall goal of the project is to develop natural nanoparticles efficiently loaded with specific macromolecules such as Cas9, mRNA and siRNA, which are targeted to specific cells and organs, in this project mainly the CNS and hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. In this project, we will therefore use extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are natural non-toxic nanoparticles released by all cells. EVs contain macromolecules, such as mRNA and proteins, and can be engineered to be loaded with different types of cargo, such as mRNA, siRNA and CRISPR/Cas9. However, currently, the targeting and functional uptake of EVs is poor at best. We therefore aim to improve both loading and targeting and ultimately unlock the potential of EV-mediated delivery to hard-to-reach tissues. This would allow us to treat several diseases that are out of reach today.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for employment as a Research Specialist, in addition to holding a Degree of Doctor, PhD, or having equivalent scientific expertise, the applicant must have demonstrated research expertise as well as have documented research experience after defending their doctoral dissertation.

In addition, it is required to have:

• A strong background in molecular biology 
• Experience in working with plasmid libraries to find targeting peptides to specific tissues
• Practical laboratory experience in the following areas: PCR, cloning, cell culture, lentivirus production, NGS sequencing and EV purification
• Knowledge regarding neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease
• Excellent knowledge of English, both spoken and written

Assessment criteria

It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has shown

• Purification of DNA and RNA from various tissues and cells

As a person, we would like you to be an energetic and passionate person who fits in and actively contributes to our team.  In this recruitment, we place great importance to personal qualities.

After an overall assessment of the expertise and merits of the applicants in relation to the subject area, Karolinska Institutet will determine which of them has the best potential to contribute to a positive development of the activities at KI.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Here, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: Flemingsberg

Read more about The Division of Biomolecular and cellular Medicine

Read About Joel Nordin Research Group 

Application

We prefer that Your application is written in English, but You can also apply in Swedish. An application must contain the following documents: Resumé and personal letter.

Welcome to apply at the latest 3 April.

The application must be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all