PhD Candidate in Cellular Immunotherapy (Remote)

Job summary

This position offers a 3-year PhD opportunity focused on engineering CAR T cells for the targeted delivery of proteins to cancer cells, aiming to enhance immunogenicity and overcome tumor resistance mechanisms.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in molecular biology, biotechnology, biomedicine, immunology, or related disciplines.
• Practical experience in molecular cloning, mammalian cell culture (including primary immune cells), and flow cytometry; experience with mouse models is advantageous.
• Interest or experience in recombinant protein engineering, with computational design being a plus.
• Proficient in English, both written and spoken.
• Highly motivated, organized, and capable of working independently as well as collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Design and construct engineered CAR T cells for delivering proteins into tumor cells.
• Clone and express recombinant protein cargos, including synthetic binders.
• Conduct functional assays to evaluate killing efficiency and signaling.
• Analyze interactions between T cells and tumor cells using advanced imaging techniques.
• Assess therapeutic efficacy in relevant cellular and animal cancer models.
• Supervise and teach B.Sc./M.Sc. students, and engage in collaborative projects.

Skills

• Experience in T cell engineering or CAR T cell technology is a strong advantage.
• Background in protein design, structural biology, or synthetic biology is desirable.
• Familiarity with live-cell imaging or super-resolution microscopy is beneficial.

Education

• Completion of a study program totaling 30 ECTS points is required.
• Participation in teaching and dissemination activities equivalent to approximately one semester of full-time employment.
• Completion of a PhD thesis that includes internationally peer-reviewed articles is mandatory.
• Public defense of the PhD thesis is required.

Tools

• Proficiency in molecular biology techniques and imaging technologies relevant to cellular immunotherapy and protein engineering.