Postdoctoral Researcher in

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Laboratory Medicine consists of seven divisions that conduct both research and teaching. The department is involved in advanced research, encompassing both basic and applied research. All divisions operate in close collaboration with clinicians at the Karolinska University Hospital. The Division of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine (BCM) focuses on the use of modified biomolecules, cells, and cell products as new therapeutic agents, as well as the identification and study of suitable biomolecular and cellular targets for therapy and diagnostics. The division is also connected to the Karolinska ATMP Center.

Our research efforts in the El Andaloussi´s lab focus on one of the greatest challenges facing modern therapeutics; the delivery of macromolecules to target cells in vivo. Despite the unprecedented knowledge of diseases and their mechanisms due to advances in biomedical sciences; many promising therapeutic approaches are still clinically unavailable. This is simply because there is no efficient means of delivering these therapeutics to the right organ with the right dose. Our research performance involves developing novel and innovative drug delivery technologies that can carry proteins, RNAs, or gene therapies to the target tissues safely and efficiently. Thus, we engineer exosomes with enhanced delivery and targeting capacities and screen our wide array of exosome designs in disease-relevant cellular and animal models.

Another growing area of research in the El Andaloussi lab pertains to the delivery of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that are used to either silence genes or induce splice switching. To enhance the delivery of these to specific tissues, different bioconjugation strategies to lipids, peptides or monoclonal antibodies will be employed. A major focus is on enhancing delivery of therapeutic ASOs to heart and CNS to treat genetic diseases. In addition to enhancing functional delivery to these tissues, the lab also exploits single cell RNA sequencing to accurately determine tissues distribution within organs on single cell level.

In addition, projects that investigate the use of targeting vectors on the surface of lipid nano-particles (LNPs) are also of interest. This includes the development of novel conjugation approaches and characterization methods for complex mixtures of biomacromolecules and lipds. Bioconjugation techniques will be applied broadly across projects to enable the study of structure-function relationships of a wide range of delivery vectors.

Your mission

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will drive innovative research in the design and synthesis of ligands and oligonucleotide therapeutics, with a particular focus on introducing modified nucleosides and modifying phosphor-backbone in oligonucleoside. Your work will be central to advancing bioconjugation strategies for ASOs and siRNAs, enabling next-generation therapeutic solutions.

Most of the research will leverage cutting-edge methods from organic chemistry laboratories, including synthesis, analysis, and purification strategies (flash column chromatography, MS/NMR spectroscopies, HPLC purifications). You will also engage in the synthesis of peptides and ASOs using solid-phase approaches, introducing chemical modifications and performing bioconjugations to diverse entities. Bioconjugation techniques will include amide bond formation, multiple click chemistry approaches, and solid support functionalization.

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor, a PhD or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a Swedish PhD is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. Completion of your doctoral degree within the last three years is considered an advantage. If there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

You should have a solid background in organic chemistry, particularly in nucleic acid chemistry and bioconjugation. The position requires practical laboratory experience in: Organic synthesis, analysis, and purification strategies of compounds ranging from small molecules to oligonucleotides and bioconjugates. Peptide and oligonucleotide synthesis using automated solid-phase approaches. Experience with independent work on DNA/RNA synthesizers and previous experience with therapeutic oligonucleotides and RNazymes is highly desirable.

Excellent proficiency in both spoken and written English is a prerequisite. We are looking for an energetic and passionate scientist who thrives in a collaborative environment and actively contributes to our team.

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: Flemingsberg, Huddinge

Application

An employment application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• PhD certificate
• 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 12 December.

The application is to 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!