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Postdoc Cell Uptake and Trafficking of Nano-Sized Carriers (1.0 fte): Groningen

Postdoc Cell uptake and trafficking of nano-sized carriers (1.0 fte) Vacancy number 216254H

Organisation

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programmes and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 30,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global center of knowledge.

Job description

The Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP) of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has an opening for a postdoc candidate in the Division of Pharmacokinetics, Toxicology & Targeting for 2 years.

Within the Division, a strand of research is focused on the study of the mechanisms by which cells internalize and process nanosized materials, such as drug carriers currently investigated in nanomedicine applications. A growing realization within the drug delivery community is indeed that this knowledge is necessary in order to fully exploit the potential of nanomedicine and understand how the design of successful drug carriers and targeted drugs.

The postdoctoral position is part of the ERC funded project NanoPaths awarded to Dr Anna Salvati (https://www.rug.nl/fwn/news/erc-starting-grant-for-better-drug-targeting-?lang=en).

The project will investigate the uptake and intracellular trafficking of nanosized materials on cell models in vitro, with a particular focus on the use of different imaging methods to visualize such processes, combined with cell and molecular biology approaches to characterise the cellular pathways involved. The research will also involve several other different disciplines spanning from nanoparticle physico-chemical characterization to quantitative nanoparticle-cell interactions studies, using methods such as flow cytometry in order to understand the basic mechanisms by which cells process nanosized materials.

Enthusiastic and highly motivated candidates with a strong commitment to research and willing to work as part of a team on these challenging questions are sought. The successful candidate will also contribute to the supervision of PhD students working on related topics. Both candidates with previous experience in nanoparticle-cell interaction studies, and candidates with previous experience on intracellular trafficking and endocytosis who are willing to move towards drug delivery and nanomedicine are sought.

The indicative starting date will be as soon as possible (depending on availability), starting from March 2017.

Qualifications

The successful candidate for the postdoc position will have the following qualifications:

• PhD degree in Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy or related areas recently awarded or with a maximum of 4 years of postdoctoral experience
• very good knowledge of written and spoken English (TOEFL or English Proficiency required) and very good communication skills
• enthusiasm for research in an interdisciplinary setting and international environment
• good communication skills to be able to act as an excellent team player
• experience in student supervision
• previous experience and/or particular interest in endocytosis and intracellular trafficking would be considered an asset, as also previous experience with fluorescence imaging methods, preparation of GFP-tagged cells, gene editing and similar approaches to label cellular proteins and structures.

Conditions of employment

The postdoc will be located in the Division of Pharmacokinetics, Toxicology & Targeting of the Groningen Research Institute for Pharmacy. The University of Groningen offers a salary that is determined in accordance with the current scales as set out in the Collective Labour Agreement for the Dutch universities (CAO) and has a range between € 2,552 and € 4,028 (scale 10) gross per month dependent on qualifications and experience based on a fulltime position. The position is temporary, with a maximum of 2 years.

How to apply

You may apply for this position until 19 January / before 20 January 2017 Dutch local time by means of the application form, see: http://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/job-opportunities/overview?details=00347-02S00059NP

Applications for the position should include:

• short curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages) with details of bachelor and master degree(s) and final grades, educational and employment history; this should also include a list of publications and a brief description of previous research experience and of the PhD project
• motivation letter (max 1 page)
• name and (email) address of two professional references.

Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Information

For information you can contact:

Dr Anna Salvati, +31 50 3633280 (please do not use for applications)

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Employer:Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Website:http://www.rug.nl

Location:Groningen

Expires:January 19, 2017

Job type:Postdoctoral

Salary:Unspecified

Qualifications:Postgraduate - Doctorate/PhD

Employment type:Temporary

Job hours:Full-time