Research Specialist for Ellenberg lab

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

We are recruiting a highly motivated Research Specialist for the newly established Ellenberg Lab at Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab - an exciting opportunity to be part of a pioneering research environment at the intersection of quantitative cell biology, advanced imaging, and developmental biology. Our lab leverages state-of-the-art microscopy and live imaging technologies to answer fundamental questions about the earliest stages of life.

Description of the subject area

The research in Professor Jan Ellenberg’s newly formed group at SciLifeLab focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing the earliest stages of mammalian development. The group investigates how maternal and paternal genomes are brought together and segregated during the first embryonic divisions. This work addresses fundamental questions in cell and developmental biology, with broad implications for understanding infertility, embryo viability, and chromosomal instability in early development.

Your mission

Your primary responsibilities will include designing and conducting experiments involving live-cell imaging of mouse embryos using advanced light-sheet and super-resolution microscopy and perform quantitative image analysis using computational tools. You will also handle and managing mouse models, including embryo collection and genotyping. When needed, you will contribute to manuscript preparation for publications and assisting with grant proposals.

Eligibility requirements

For employment as Research Specialist at Karolinska Institutet, the eligibility requirements stated in the Guidelines for non-teaching positions at Karolinska Institutet are applied in relation to the established profile of employment.

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 postdoctoral research experience.

The successful candidate should have a background in the developmental biology, cytoskeletal dynamics and cell division processes, it is expected that the candidate has the capacity to independently develop scientific research projects. In addition to the knowledge of the basic cell culture and molecular biology techniques, the selected researcher needs to have experience in mouse oocyte and embryo manipulation, as well as expertise in advanced microscopy techniques in live and fixed cells. Complete fluency in both written and spoken English is a request.

Assessment criteria

It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has shown

•  Experience with handling mice, genotyping, embryo dissection and immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence staining in mouse tissues. Having FELASA A/FELASA C certificate or equivalent is an advantage.
• Experience with microinjection into mouse oocytes/embryos, a practical knowledge of the mercury-assisted microinjection is a strong advantage.
• Extensive expertise in live-cell imaging and proficiency in advanced microscopy techniques, including super-resolution imaging and light- sheet microscopy.
• Proficiency in image analysis and quantitative data processing. 

It is meritorious that the applicant has shown

•  Proficient in DNA/RNA purification, PCR-based techniques, cloning, Western blotting, protein purification, protein-protein interaction assays, in vitro ubiquitination assays, FACS.
• Experience in primary cell culture, gene editing by CRISP/Cas9 system, Auxin-inducible degron (AID) systems, protein overexpression/knock-down, protein depletion via TRIM-away system. A practical experience with mouse embryo culture is a strong advantage.   

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: The Division of Genome Biology, SciLifeLab, Solna

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 at the latest 2025-05-27

The application must be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

Permanent position is initiated by a six months trial period.

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