Cambridge, UK
Job description
MELOMANES aims to train 12 doctoral researchers for the development of a combined therapy exploiting the properties of magnetic nanoparticles to induce damage on the tumor microenvironment by magnetic and optic hyperthermia in order to facilitate the infiltration of CAR-T cells.
Project title: development of metastatic melanoma-on-chip systems to assess the efficacy and safety of CAR-T cell therapy combined to hyperthermia.
Microphysiological systems, colloquially referred to as organs-on-chips, are designed to recapitulate human organ function, using proprietary microfluidic instrumentation that functions in common laboratory settings. They can be utilized alone but can also be connected through fluidic circuits to create advanced multi-organ microphysiological systems that can model the interactions between organ systems, allowing greater analysis of molecular pathways and disease mechanisms. CN Bio has extensive experience with its PhysioMimix® technology, launched in 2018, the platform has been used for a range of applications, from toxicology to complex disease models, including models of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and a 10-organ “Body-on-a-Chip”.
The aims of the PhD project are to:
- Develop a 3D perfused model of metastatic melanoma.
- Model the mechanisms of metastasis with the addition of a second organ model, most likely to the lungs and/or liver.
- Study the potential toxicity and therapeutic effects of magnetic nanoparticles, the CAR-T cells and hTERT-specific T-cell receptor T cells on tumor cells, and additionally any off-target toxicity effects on lung and liver tissue.
Full details Doctoral Researcher
Learn more about MELOMANES and their project on their website – melomanes.eu
Candidate Profile:
Academic prerequisite
5-years degree (Master level) in Biology/Immunology/Bioengineering or related field.
Technical skills and knowledge required
Essential
- Expertise in a broad array of relevant lab techniques (molecular biology, immunoassays, cell culture).
Desirable
- Experience in primary cell culture, ELISAs, qPCR and microscopy.
- Experience in organ-on-a-chip technology
- Understanding of the drug discovery process and the pharmaceutical industry.
Soft skills
- Strong interpersonal and communication (oral and written English) skills.
- Highly analytical, able to interpret complex sets of data with excellent attention to detail.
- Problem-solver, uses experience to identify problems and developing proposed solutions that minimise risk and ensure delivery.
- Self-motivated, confident, reliable, open-minded, and enthusiastic.
- A genuine team player, providing support to your colleagues with a proactive and friendly attitude, and able to work autonomously as required.
- Flexible and able to respond in a fast-evolving organisation.
Exclusion criteria
The candidate, at the time of recruitment, must hold a 5-years degree (Master level).
The candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.
The candidate, at the time of recruitment by CN Bio Innovations (UK), must not be enrolled in a doctoral school or have been awarded a doctoral degree.
VISA
The PhD candidate will need to apply for a VISA (with their costs covered by the grant).
UKRI recommends the Global Talent VISA:
https://www.ukro.ac.uk/mariecurie/Documents/factsheet_heu_msca_mobility.pdf
What we offer
- An enrolment in a PhD program;
- An international work environment in which doctoral researchers can develop their skills and innovate within a competent team;
- An attractive 36 months’ salary;
- An individual and well-structured scientific and transferable training (open science, responsible research and innovation, circular economy, ethics, data management, entrepreneurship, creativity, communication, career plans and gender balance in science) within the Melomanes network.
Send your application to [email protected] before 15th April 2023. The full requirements and details of your application can be found HERE.
About us
We are a close-knit team of passionate scientists, engineers and creative thinkers, all working together towards our shared goal – a future where drugs are discovered more quickly, brought to patients more cost-effectively and through the use of less animal experimentation.
Day to day our cohesive teams design, manufacture, promote and support organ-on-a-chip solutions that enable our customers to do something incredible – recreate three-dimensional human organs and tissues in the laboratory to better understand human physiology, disease and the effectiveness of new drugs.
If you are thinking of joining us, our values define who we are, describe our culture and shape what we aspire to be. They can be found here https://cn-bio.com/careers/
Download the application specification.
Please note the candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date.
Send your application to:
[email protected]