Postdoctoral Researcher in Cell and Gene Therapy

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

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. All divisions operate in close contact with clinics at Karolinska University Hospital. The activities at the Division of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine focus 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.

We are currently seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join Joel Nordin’s research group to work on the development of biotechnological targeted nanoparticles.

Your mission

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, targeting specific cells and organs, in this project mainly the CNS and hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow. mRNA and Cas9 therapies have gained increased interest with COVID-19 vaccines proving their applicability in clinical medicine and Cas9-mediated therapies entering 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 cargoes, such as mRNA, siRNA and CRISPR/Cas9. However, the targeting and functional uptake of EVs is currently poor at best. Therefore, we aim to improve both loading and targeting and ultimately unlock the potential for EV-mediated delivery to hard-to-reach tissues. This would allow us to treat several diseases that are currently out of reach.

Your profile

To apply, you should have a strong background in basic or molecular biology and/or experience in working with plasmid libraries. The position requires practical laboratory experience in the following areas: excellent experience in PCR, cloning, and cell culture. In addition, excellent oral and written English language skills are essential. Extensive experience in PCR and PCR primer design and purification of DNA and RNA from various tissues and cells, lentivirus production, NGS sequencing, and sequencing bioinformatics is an advantage. The ideal candidate also has experience in the EV or virus field and experience in molecular cloning, but none of this is a requirement. 

As a person, we want you to be energetic and passionate and to fit in and actively contribute to our team.

To be employed as a postdoctoral Researcher, a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree is required. This entry requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. It is meritorious if you have completed your doctoral degree within the last three years; if there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

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

Read about The Division of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine

Read about Research group- Joel Nordin 

Application

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

• 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 1 September.

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

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