About the Project
The selected candidate will spend eighteen months at ICIQ (Taragona, Spain) and eighteen months at AiCuris (Wuppertal, Germany, within and industrial doctorate Programme.
The research project to be developed by ESR2 will be mainly focused on the establishment and optimization of biochemical assays for identifying small molecules that target HBV proteins and directly inhibit viral replication. Furthermore, the biochemical assays are to be transferred to a microfluidic format followed by the integration of both continuous flow chemistry and the microfluidic bioassay into one process of “compound synthesis and compound testing” for HBV inhibitors/effectors.
Main tasks
• Molecular biology (DNA cloning, gene expression, recombinant mutagenesis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR))
• Protein chemistry (SDS-PAGE; immunoblotting; protein chromatography like SEC and IMAC)
• Assay development and validation (liquid handling robotics, buffer optimization, assay quality assessment, different read-out systems e.g. fluorescence quenching, assay validation using reference inhibitors)
• Miniaturization of biochemical assays using different plate formats followed by transfer to the microfluidic chip based system in order to accelerate the lead identification process
Skills and Experience
Essential
• Master degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, biomedicine, or similar
• Experience in general techniques of molecular biology and biochemistry (DNA-cloning, recombinant mutagenesis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA isolation and characterization, gene expression, protein purification and characterization, western blot analysis)
• Strong background in molecular biology, biochemistry
• Team orientated, problem solving, creative thinking
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Fluent English skills
Desirable
• Experience in recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli and protein purification
• Experience in the generation of recombinant protein variants (fusion proteins, affinity tag) insertion; insertion of amino acid substitutions for resistance analysis
• Experience in performing or developing setting-up biochemical assays
• Experience in HBV and/or virology
• Skills in organic chemistry
• General willingness to learn basic German language
VIRO-FLOW is a recently funded Horizon 2020 project that aims to integrate the advantages of continuous flow chemical synthesis with in vitro microfluidic bioassay technologies for the fast and efficient discovery of inhibitors of hepatitis B virus (HBV). www.viro-flow.eu
The research programme is composed of three closely related projects in the fields of medicinal chemistry, molecular biology/ protein biochemistry and computational chemistry, and will provide exceptional training in drug discovery and enabling technologies for three Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs).
The ESRs will be supported by a network of experts at AiCuris, an infectious disease-focused biotech company, and the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), a research center working on catalysis, with a special focus on sustainability (functionalization of small molecules, renewable energies, new uses for light in chemistry) using an integrated approach. ICIQ is highly committed to knowledge and technology transfer to the chemical, pharmaceutical and energy industrial sectors.
The ESR training will include international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectorial mobility, and will integrate academic and industrial contributions.
Studentships will be granted for three years, with fellows spending eighteen months at ICIQ (Tarragona, Spain) and eighteen months at AiCuris (Wuppertal, Germany), within an industrial doctorate programme. Fellows will receive:
– Close mentoring, supervision, guidance and support by a wide network of acclaimed researchers and experts at both ICIQ and AiCuris
– When at ICIQ, the students will by integrated in the Pericàs Laboratory/ERTFLOW, with ample expertise in catalytic flow chemistry
– A personalized doctoral career development plan
– A training program for scientific as well as transferable skills
– Significant exposure to working within the pharmaceutical industry
– A monthly gross salary of 2907€ plus a family allowance, if applicable. Spanish taxation and social security deductions will apply.
ESRs will be fully equipped with the practical and intellectual skills necessary to pursue successful careers in scientific research, especially rapidly emerging fields that require novel multidisciplinary technological development.
Formal enrolment will be into the PhD program at the University of Rovira i Virgili (URV) (Tarragona) with one supervisor at ICIQ and one supervisor at AiCuris.
Calls structure
The call for candidatures is open to all, but a multistep evaluation procedure and special eligibility criteria will apply. There are no restrictions on gender, age, ethnicity, national or social origin, religion or personal belief system, sexual orientation, language, disability, political opinion, and social or economic conditions. ICIQ and AiCuris and its associated centres are committed to policies covering equal opportunities and gender issues.
Eligibility criteria:
Marie Curie eligibility rules require ESRs to be in the first four years of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree (at the date of recruitment). In addition, ESRs must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than twelve months in the three years prior to the recruitment date. Short stays such as holidays and business trips will not be taken into account.
Applicants must electronically submit all required information and documentation:
– Personal statement (maximum two pages) regarding prior experience, research interests and career goals
– CV with a list of publications and/or projects
– Evidence of having obtained (or be in the position of receiving before enrolment) a degree that qualifies the applicant to enter the Ph.D. Programme (e.g. scanned copies of degree certificates)
– Evidence of English language proficiency
– Official transcript of grades obtained during bachelors and masters studies
– Names and full contact information of two academic referees willing to write a letter of recommendation
Please review the eligibility and evaluation criteria and carefully read the instructions on how to submit an application before applying. Applications will only be accepted via the online application platform. Applicants will be updated on the progress of their application at all stages. The main means of communication during the formal process will be e-mail. The selection process will be conducted confidentially, following strict privacy rules.
VIRO-FLOW is funded by the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 766058, offering attractive packages to the best candidates.
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/212130_en.html