Postdoctoral Researcher in in phage biology and antimicrobial resistance

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 searching for a postdoctoral researcher to join the new Systems Virology research group, led by Dr. Andrea Fossati.

This call is a part of the KI-SciLifeLab Clinical Translational Postdoc Program with the purpose of promoting interaction between the ScoLifeLab research environment and clinical research environments at Karolinska Institutet. The postdocs that are recruited to the program will form a network with the support of the SciLifeLab Committee KI.

Your mission

The research group of Dr Andrea Fossati seeks a postdoctoral scholar in the field of bacterial antiphage systems.

The Fossati lab investigates bacterial immune systems composition and mechanism by employing a combination of bulk NGS technologies and high-throughput interaction proteomics approaches (Fossati et al, 2023, Nat Com) as well as developing computational solutions to analyze next-generation interaction proteomics datasets using machine learning (Fossati et al, 2021, Nat Methods) and deep learning (Frommelt and Fossati et al, 2024, Nat Methods).

The team employs an integrative and collaborative methodology, maintaining close partnerships with computational and experimental units at KI, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), as well as local and international research collectives. Regular on-site courses are offered, complemented by opportunities for further professional development via summer schools and ongoing workshops.

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a Swedish 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.

We search for a postdoctoral researcher to work in the area of phage biology and phage engineering with a focus on augmentation of phage efficacy using genetic engineering.

As a member of the Fossati lab, you will apply and develop novel genetic screenings (based on CRISPRi) to characterize phage genes influencing clinical efficacy against bacterial pathogens, characterize them in their molecular context using interaction proteomics (affinity purification, proximity labelling, co-fractionation mass spectrometry, etc) and engineer ‘super-phages’ displaying increase efficacy against clinical isolates. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will assume a prominent role in project design and management, oversee data generation, conduct analyses, and provide insightful interpretations. Collaboration with fellow team members, other groups at KI/SciLifeLab will be a key aspect of your role. You will be responsible for disseminating scientific findings through the authorship of research papers, active participation in scientific conferences, and effective communication with colleagues. Adaptability to a diverse, interdisciplinary, and global research environment, along with a commitment to ongoing professional growth, is essential.

Requirements for the position:

Demonstrated expertise in forward and reverse genetic screens
Experience with CRISPRi (library design, sample preparation and data analysis)
Basic molecular clonig (primers design, PCR, restriction, ligation, Golden Gate assembly, competent cells preparation, bacterial transformation, plasmid purification, gel electrophoresis,etc)
Basic biochemistry (protein expression, purification, western blots, immunofluorescence)
Experience with phage recombineering
Knowledge of virology/phage biology techniques (plaque assay, phage isolation, etc)

Meritorius for the position:

Prior experience with Mycobacteria and Pseudomonas is a plus
Working knowledge of Python/R/bash/unix
Hands-on experience in proteomics sample preparation or data analysis is a plus but not required

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

Choose to work at KI – Ten reasons why

https://fossatilab.app

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 2024-10-31.

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

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