Postdoctoral Researcher in DNA based antibody alternatives

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) at Karolinska Institutet conducts research and teaching within immunology, infection biology, cell biology and cancer. MTC have about 40 research groups and our key words are multidisciplinary, bridging, national and international collaborations.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work in Erik Benson new research group based at Scilifelab campus Solna, as a part of the larger group of prof Birgitta Henriques Normark. The group focuses on using DNA nanotechnology to develop libraries of DNA structures with large shape diversity. We use these structures to perform selection experiments combined with sequencing to find the structures with the best properties. The goal is to develop alternatives to antibodies that are fast to develop and produce, and are readable by sequencing. As a member of the group you become a part of the Scilifelab community and the unit for microbiology-bacteriology at the Karolinska Institute.

Your mission

Antibodies are essential for modern research, diagnostics and therapy but suffer from problems with reproducibility and development speed for new pathogens. We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who is interested in using DNA to develop alternatives with a focus on diagnostics and/or research applications. Within diagnostics we want to focus on rapid testing for viruses and within research we are interested in developing protein binders that can be sequenced to be able to measure protein-concentration using sequencing techniques. The project can include experimental techniques such as: DNA design, biochemistry work including selection experiments, nanopore-sequencing and characterization of binding affinity. The project can also include computational techniques such as: analysis of sequencing data, 2D and 3D simulations of DNA structures. The exact tasks can be somewhat adjusted to the previous experience of the candidate.

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. It is considered as an advantage if you have completed your doctoral degree within the last three years, if there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, the applicant must have:

Experience in working with biochemistry techniques in a laboratory.

Meritorius for the position:

Previous experience in DNA structures, affinity characterization or high throughput sequencing is a merit.

We are looking for a motivated candidate who is interested in developing new methods in life science and with an interest in learning new techniques. Your background could be in DNA structures, antibody development or similar.

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. At Karolinska Institutet, 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: Solna

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More information

Application

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

A complete resumé, 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)

Welcome to apply at the latest 2023-11-12.

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

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