Research Postdoc in Biomolecular Corona Analytics at Department of Pharmacy

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

University of Copenhagen

We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic researcher for a three year position, who will bring skills in cell culture/bacteriology and compositional (e.g. proteomic/lipidomic) analysis to the Structured Biointerfaces group to commence 1 April 2024.

The Structured Biointerfaces group is a new research group within the Department of Pharmacy led by Professor Ben J. Boyd who was awarded a Novo Nordisk Laureate Research Fellowship. The group aims to improve the understanding of the surface of particles in physiological environments for improved performance of formulated products across a range of fields including the pharmaceutical and food industries. We are forming a team with 4-5 postdoctoral researchers and 4-5 PhD students. Personal and professional development are key ambitions which reinforce our team approach to our science. We value individual input and opinion to help the team to grow.

Information on the department can be found at: pharmacy.ku.dk

Our research
The group’s focus is on an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the surface structure and chemistry of particles in physiological environments, particularly gastrointestinal fluids, and the consequences for interaction with biological tissues. The group uses a range of structural and analytical techniques in order to understand these aspects of particles in pharmaceutical products and food, including international synchrotron and neutron scattering facilities, advanced microscopy as well as lipidomic and proteomic analysis to understand composition of the interface. Understanding how the structure and chemistry at the interface then impacts on interactions with gut biointerfaces (microbiota, mucus, epithelial surfaces etc) is our unifying theme and goal.

Our department

The mission of Department of Pharmacy is to advance the pharmaceutical sciences by performing drug-related research and research-based teaching in topics including pharmaceutical technology and formulation, drug delivery, advanced drug analysis, and clinical and social pharmacy.

Information about the Department can be found at https://pharmacy.ku.dk/

Your job
Your position will entail providing expert input into the group and conducting research that utilises your background in cell culture or bacteriology and compositional analysis of proteins, lipids and/or polysaccharides, including advanced data handling and analysis. The focus will be on understanding the compositional aspects of particles in physiological fluids and the implications for interaction with biological surfaces especially the gastrointestinal tract. You will organise equipment and methodologies to enable these analyses in vitro and ex vivo, with increasingly complex biological media. An ability to develop relationships with key staff in major Centres and laboratories with the infrastructure to conduct these analyses will be crucial. Subsequent quantitative analysis of the interactions of particles with cellular systems and biological surfaces will be undertaken. You will have an outward looking collaborative mindset, willing to interact with researchers in adjacent and tangential fields to make the most of this opportunity. You will lead publication of the research.

As a postdoctoral researcher you will also assist in the supervision of Masters and/or PhD students on a day to day basis, assisting with laboratory training, assisting the students with drafted work and presentations, participating in technical meetings within the group and with collaborators. Leadership of the biology-focussed aspects of our overall program under guidance will offer an important development aspect to this position.

Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following competencies and experience:

Essential experience and skills:

• A PhD involving proteomic, lipidomic and/or glycomic analysis using mass spectrometry-based techniques and skills in data analysis/bioinformatics.
• Postdoctoral experience in conducting cell culture and/or bacterial culture with analysis by flow cytometry and microscopy approaches (e.g. confocal fluorescence, TIRF, FLIM or similar).
• Experience in the supervision and/or training of Masters students or PhD students.
• Your publication record will reflect the above elements and will demonstrate your ability to complete projects to a publishable stage and to adopt a high level of responsibility for publishing the outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience in working in teams, preferably in a laboratory leadership role will be essential.
• Excellent English written and spoken skills with Danish being an advantage.

Desirable experience and skills:

• Having played a major role in or leading a project on biomolecular/protein corona formation with nanoparticles would be a huge advantage.
• Experience in presenting research at international conferences in English
• Advanced electron microscopy experience (e.g. cryo-TEM, cryo-FESEM) would be advantageous.
• Experience in preparation and characterisation of pharmaceutically-relevant dispersed particle systems, such as suspensions, emulsions, liposomes, polymer particles etc.
• We are an interdisciplinary team that conducts experiments at major infrastructure (synchrotron and neutron sources). An interest to participate will be viewed favourably.
• Formal training in personality types and relationships within teams (e.g. Myers Briggs, Five Voices or similar) is also desirable.

Place of employment

The place of employment is at Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and offices in the North Campus of University of Copenhagen with easy access to transportation and the rest of Copenhagen.

Terms of employment
The employment as postdoc is a full time and fixed-term position for three years. Starting date is 1 April 2024.

Salary, pension and terms of employment will be in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Currently, the monthly salary starts at 36,400 DKK/ approx. 4,880 Euro (Oct 2023-level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Non-Danish and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the “Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at the Universities” of June 28, 2013.

Questions
For further information please [email protected] ;www.sund.ku.dk

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application focussing on how your experience and skills meet or exceed the stated criteria (max. one page).

2. CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.

3. A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.

4. List of publications.

Application deadline: 18th January 2024, 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Interviews are expected to be held in mid February, via Zoom/Teams etc. where required.

UCPH wishes to reflect the diversity of society and encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk