Increasing the stability of mRNA vaccines

Institut Pasteur, France

Updated: 12 days ago
Deadline: ;

A postdoc position for a talented postdoctoral researcher is available in the Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids unit of the Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

Topic. mRNA vaccines have advanced as a major player in the response against the global pandemic caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus and might be used to prevent the emergence or expansion of other diseases. However, mRNA vaccines consist of hundreds of natural ribonucleotides and are thus prone to hydrolysis during production, storage, and within the cytosol. Hence, the aim of the project is to include chemical modifications into the scaffold of mRNA vaccines in order to prolong their residence times and efficiencies and also to facilitate their production and ease of storage.

Representative publications and patent: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2020, 117, 16790-16798; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2003267117; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 5413-5424; doi:10.1021/jacs.1c00014; WO2020043846A1

Profile. A PhD in bioorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, or chemical biology with experience in synthesis of RNA nucleoside, nucleotide, and oligonucleotide analogs. The candidate should also have knowledge in enzymatic synthesis of RNA oligonucleotides.

Conditions. The position is funded by the international pharmaceutical company Sanofi. The salary corresponds to the postdoc standard in France, including extended health coverage The salary corresponds to the postdoc standard in France, including extended health coverage. The contract will be for 18 months. The position is available from April 2024, but the exact starting date is negotiable (within the second trimester of 2025). People with work permission in the EU will be prioritized.

Application: Send a single pdf document with a detailed CV, a cover letter, and the names and contacts of three references.

Materials should be emailed as a single PDF file to the principal investigator Marcel Hollenstein ([email protected]), who can be reached for informal inquiries about the project and the research unit.


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