Research specialist in molecular medicine - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

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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.

Description of the subject area

Our research in the Nordin laboratory focuses on one of the biggest challenges of modern therapy, namely delivery. Despite the knowledge of diseases and their mechanisms, many promising therapeutic approaches are still clinically unavailable. There is no effective way to deliver these therapies to the right organ at the right dose. Such therapies are proteins for replacement therapy or antibodies for antiinflammatory treatment and nucleic acids for gene therapy of diseases. The Nordin Group develops innovative cell and gene therapies for advanced applications. We have developed a novel method to screen target proteins for extracellular vesicles (EVs). Today, EV targeting capacity is poor. We have developed targeted EVs that are active only in certain cells. 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 T cells. mRNA and Cas9 therapies have received increased interest as COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be applicable in clinical medicine and Cas9-mediated therapies have entered clinical trials.

However, the delivery vectors used today are still toxic after systemic, repeated injections and mainly deliver mRNA/Cas9 to the liver. 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 a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a Swedish doctoral degree, the applicant must have demonstrated research expertise as well as have documented research experience after defending their doctoral dissertation.

In addition, it is critical to have:

• A very strong background in molecular biology

• Experience in working with different viral fusogenic proteins and targeting of nanoparticles and especially EVs. 

• Practical laboratory experience in the following areas is vital: PCR, cloning (restriction enzyme, infusion cloning), cell culture, lentivirus production, protein engineering, CRISPR and CRE protein delivery to reporter and wild-type cells, human T cell culture and manipulation, EV purification and quantification.

Assessment criteria

It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has shown

• Extensive experience in working with engineered EVs and their delivery of CRISPR to specific cell populations.

It is meritorious that the applicant has shown

• Experience in the field of EVs or viruses and in molecular cloning as well as in targeting of nanoparticles to specific cells. 

• The perfect candidate additionally has experience with other nanoparticles, such as lentiviruses or AAVs. 

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

Choose to work at KI - Ten reasons why

Application

We prefer that Your application is written in English, but You can also apply in Swedish. An application must contain the following documents:  PhD certificate, resumé, qualifications and description of planned research, presented in accordance with Karolinska Institutet's qualifications portfolio.

Welcome to apply!

The application must be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

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