Open position announcement:
Rijeka, 27th July 2018
Early Stage Researcher
position available as PhD scholarship in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN European Training Network GLYCOVAX on Development and application of polysaccharide-specific monoclonal antibodies
University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia is seeking a highly motivated person for the position of Early Stage Researcher on the project “A training network for the rational design of the next generation of well-defined glycoconjugate vaccines (GLYCOVAX)” funded by the Horizon 2020 programme Marie Curie Actions - ITN European Training Network.
Number of employees sought: 1
Place of work: Center for Proteomics, University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Contract duration: up to 13 months (with the possibility of extension until the end of PhD studies), including the 4-month probationary period
Required qualifications and other conditions:
- in accordance with the Marie Curie ITN experience eligibility requirements, candidates must, at the time of recruitment be in the possession of a master degree and must have less than 4 years research experience (Early Stage Researcher) at the signature of the contract (measured from the time the Master’s degree has been obtained). Eligible applicants must not have a PhD yet.
- in accordance with the Marie Curie ITN mobility eligibility requirements, at the time of recruitment the fellow must not have resided in Croatia for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date (and not have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.)
- formal education in the field of natural sciences (molecular biology or biochemistry) or biotechnology (molecular biotechnology)
- candidates of any nationality are eligible to apply
- applications from qualified female researchers are strongly encouraged
- fluency in English language
- advanced IT skills
- advantage: expertise in molecular cloning techniques, cell culture and protein production and analysis, and Elisa assays
How to apply: Please submit your application to Ana Ćosić Pilepić (acosic@medri.uniri.hr).
Required documentation:
- an updated CV (in English);
- a letter giving reason for his/her motivation for the post (in English);
- at least 2 reference letters (in English), at least one of them from one former supervisor and/or lecturer
- the scan of the degree diploma (usually the Master Degree) which would formally entitle him/her to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the researcher will be recruited. In case the degree has not been obtained yet, it is necessary to send a declaration of the university stating that the degree will be obtained before the expected starting date
- evidence of work experience (if applicable)
Applications must be submitted as follows:
- CV, motivation letter and letters of recommendations must be submitted in English,
- Diploma and declaration of the university stating that the degree will be obtained prior to the expected date of commencement of work (in case the candidate still did not obtain the diploma), and evidence of work experience must be attached as the scan of the original document, with certified translation in Croatian or English.
Applications will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- educational record,
- scientific quality of the applicant’s CV,
- expected individual impact and benefit to the fellow and to the project,
- previous experience in the subject of GLYCOVAX research programme.
Application deadline: 30 days following the Open position announcement (until 26th August 2018)
Job summary:
The GLYCOVAX network – A training network for the rational design of the next generation of well-defined glycoconjugate vaccines – aims at the education of promising young scientists who will learn how to rationally design well-defined and innovative glycoconjugate vaccines to improve current preventive therapies and tackle unmet medical needs. GLYCOVAX is based on a profound interaction between the academic and industrial sectors, involving 8 academic groups and 2 industrial partners with complementary expertise in chemical/enzymatic synthesis of carbohydrates, conjugation techniques, high throughput screening technology, structural glycobiology, vaccinology and immunology. In this highly multidisciplinary environment 14 Early-stage researchers (ESRs) will be trained in the growing field of glycoscience and vaccinology, enriching their skills and combining different state-of-the-art methodologies for the rational design of innovative glycoconjugates.
Job description:
The research activities implemented in the 4 scientific Work Packages of GLYCOVAX will be applied to epidemiologically relevant disease areas of meningitis, neonatal infections, and nosocomial infections.
Each of the 14 ESRs will be enrolled in the PhD programme of the beneficiary’s organization (the beneficiaries which do not award PhD will establish agreements with local and international universities that can provide the degree) and will participate in the network’s training activities and work placements at the laboratories of the participating academic and industrial partners. In addition, the training programme of the recruited ESRs will be supplemented by regular meetings and workshops within the GLYCOVAX International Training Network.
ESR recruited by the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine will be engaged on development and application of polysaccharide-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Antibodies directed to capsular polysaccharides form an emerging component in the modern age of antibacterial prevention strategies. Therefore, our aim is to determine the function of the newly developed mAbs to streptococcal and meningococcal capsular polysaccharides by applying opsonophagocytosis and killing assays. Moreover, antibody structure–function relationships will be examined by providing conventional (enzymatically generated) and recombinant Ab derivatives (obtained by cloning of variable region and transfection of mammalian cells) that will be purified by affinity chromatography and used in crystallographic studies. New mAb candidates, such as the mAbs to the serogroup A meningococcal polysaccharide will be developed and several new protocols for anti-polysaccharide Ab screening will be set up, such as the high-throughput inhibitory ELISA screening during the process of mAb production.
