Postdoctoral studies in Oligonucleotide chemistry and bioconjugation (scholarship)

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Laboratory Medicine consists of seven divisions and is active in many areas of Laboratory Medicine. The department is involved in advanced basic scientific, clinical and epidemiological research. The department is one of the largest departments of education at Karolinska Institutet.

Division

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 Andaloussi lab pertains to the delivery of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that are used to either silence genes or induce splice switching. To enhance delivery of these to specific tissues, different bioconjugation strategies to lipids, peptides or monoclonal antibodies are 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. This project, which is funded by a recently awarded Novo Nordisk Distinguished Innovator grant, seek to unlock functional cardiac delivery of therapeutic ASOs.

The objective of this project is to develop new targeting vectors that combine properties of lipids, small molecules, and cell-penetrating/endosomolytic peptides for conjugation to ASOs, as well as to develop methods for linking technology of ligands to ASOs/siRNAs.

Duties

As a Postdoctoral Research fellow, you will be included in the work on the design and synthesis of synthetic ligands and improved strategies for bioconjugation of ligands to ASOs and siRNAs.

Most of the research will exploit methods used in general organic chemistry laboratories including: synthesis, analysis and purification strategies (Flash column chromatography, MS/NMR spectroscopies, HPLC purifications). The duties will additionally involve synthesis of peptides and ASOs using solid phase approaches, their modifications and bioconjugations to various entities. The methods used for bioconjugation include amide bond formation, a number of click chemistry approaches, solid support functionalization and more.

Entry requirements

Scholarships for postdoctoral qualification can be established for foreign researchers who place their qualifications in Sweden. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after a doctorate or equivalent.
A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years within a four year period following the receipt of a doctoral degree or equivalent.
To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the person must have obtained a doctorate or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctorate. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) start date of the post doctoral education.

The head of the department determines whether their previous training and scholarly qualifications correspond to a Swedish doctorate or higher.

To be a suitable candidate for this scholarship you must have a solid background in organic chemistry and bioconjugation. Practical lab experience in the following areas are required; organic synthesis, analysis and purification strategies of organic compounds from small molecules to bioconjugates. Secondly, experience from peptide- and oligonucleotide synthesis using automated solid phase approaches are desired. The ideal candidate would furthermore have experience within the click chemistry bioconjugation strategies.

Excellent proficiency in both spoken and written English is a prerequisite. As a person we want you to be energetic and passionate and fit in, and actively contribute to our team.

Location: Flemingsberg, Huddinge.

Type of scholarship

The amount is tax free and it is set for twelve months at a time, paid out on a six months basis. In exceptional cases, shorter periods may be acceptable.

Application process

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

• A complete curriculum vitae, 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)

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

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