Research assistant in 3D adipocyte cell culture

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

You are welcomed to join a young, dynamic research group working translationally to understand adipose tissue lipid storage and metabolism in the context of metabolic disease. As a part of a well-established larger network of researchers in metabolism and cardiovascular disease we focus on identifying early disease mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets, taking discoveries from human 3D cell systems to in vivo work in rodent disease models. 

Your mission

The Research Assistant position focuses on assisting ongoing projects by handling the culture of the 3D adipocyte spheroid model developed by the lab (Ioannidou et al, 2022). This includes independent setup and maintenance of 3D HUVAS cultures using human primary cells, as well as downstream functional and phenotypic analyses of the cultures using a combination of stainings, enzymatic assays, protein quantification using capillary western blot, plate reader measurements of cell lysate as well as collecting, documenting and presenting the data. In addition, the research assistant will help with the analysis of transgenic mouse phenotypes and lipid metabolism, including tissue sectioning and staining and preforming functional assays  for fatty acid uptake and release. You will be an integrated part of the group, participating in lab meetings and group activities, and presenting and discussing your results with colleagues.

Your profile

The Research Assistant should have a finished degree in Nutrition, Biomedicine or similar. She/he should already have solid and demonstratable experience in culturing 3D HUVAS spheroids, as well as knowledge how to perform all downstream assays described above. This includes independently running Jess capillary Western blot and measuring adipocyte lipid droplet size for cultured HUVAS spheroids. She/he should also already have the necessary knowledge to analyze phenotypic changes in mouse lipid metabolism in fat and liver. Previous experience in performing fatty acid uptake assays in vitro and ex vivo is a big plus. The Research Assistant should be able to work quite independently in the lab and be confident in using ImageJ for image analyses and Prism for statistics and data plotting. Previous participation in academic research in this area is a must, as is strong communication skills in English as well as a social, positive and proactive attitude.

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. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several good benefits through our collective agreement. And you get to practice freely in our modern wellness facilities, where trained staff are on site.

Location

The position is located within the Department of Medicine, Solna. The department consists of ten divisions and each division consists of several research groups. The position is located within the research group of Associate Professor Carolina Hagberg (www.Hagberglab.com)

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Application

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.In this recruitment, you will apply with your CV without a personal letter. Instead, you will answer some questions about why you are applying for the job in the application form. 

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