Research assistant in developmental neurogenomics

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The research group led by Michael Ratz at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology is looking for a research assistant. The lab is located on KI’s Solna campus in Biomedicum, a new interdisciplinary research center with advanced laboratories and modern facilities designed to promote research and collaboration. The Ratz lab is using and creating novel molecular tools (e.g., cellular barcoding and single-cell spatial transcriptomics) to understand the development of neural circuits in the mammalian brain in health and disease.

Developmental Neurogenomics – Michael Ratz's Group | Karolinska Institutet

Your mission

You will contribute to a project that involves mapping single-neuron connectivity across developmental stages of the mammalian brain. We will employ a novel viral barcoding and in situ RNA-sequencing method for high-throughput neural circuit tracing. The long-term goal is to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying specific neural circuit assembly and maintenance.

You will have the opportunity to become acquainted with a wide range of cutting-edge methods including generation and characterization of viral barcode libraries; in vivo barcode delivery into the developing mouse brain; 3D intact-tissue RNA-sequencing; high resolution imaging using spinning disk confocal microscopy; fluorescence image processing; single-cell and spatial RNA-seq data analysis.

Your profile

We are recruiting an enthusiastic research assistant with a MSc degree to support the use of rabies virus for neural circuit tracing in the neonatal mouse brain.

Qualifications:

The applicant must fulfill the following requirements:

• Education in experimental life science with a qualifying degree e.g. in neuroscience, biomedicine, etc.
• Experience with histology procedures with a focus on the mouse brain (e.g. cryosectioning, vibratome)
• Experience with immunostaining and fluorescence imaging with a focus on the mouse brain
• Experience with neuroanatomical tracing methods (e.g. retrograde AAV, rabies virus)
• Expertise in basic molecular biology methods (e.g., PCR, molecular cloning, Sanger sequencing)
• Interest in working with single-cell and spatial transcriptomics experimental and data analysis approaches
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Collaborative and curiosity-driven approach to basic scientific research
• Fluent written and spoken English

Competence in the following areas is an advantage:

• Education in laboratory animal science (FELASA B)
• Experience in working with laboratory mice (e.g. basic handling, intracerebral injections)
• Experience in computational data analysis (e.g. R or Python)

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: Solna

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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