PhD in Synthetic biology & Microbiome engineering

14 May 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Department

Department of Experimental and Health Sciences

Research Field

Biological sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Spain

Application Deadline

2 Jun 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid)

Type of Contract

Other

Job Status

Full-time

Offer Starting Date

1 Jul 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The emerging ‘Synthetic Cell Programming’ lab, led by Dr. Santos-Moreno (santosmorenolab.org ), is seeking for a highly-motivated PhD candidate for engineering the
human skin microbiome for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Past achievements of Dr. Santos-Moreno include tool development for synthetic biology, including CRISPRi-based circuits (Santos-Moreno et al. 2020, Nat Commun ) and modular cloning approaches (Santos-Moreno & Schaerli 2019, ACS Synth Biol ); the use of these tools to address longstanding biological questions, related to evolution (Santos-Moreno et al. 2023, Nat Commun ) or pathogenesis (Rueff et al. 2023, Nat Commun ); and the engineering of diverse members of the human microbiome – including gut (E. coli), lung (S. pneumoniae) and skin (C. acnes) microbes – for basic or applied research, such as the delivery of molecules with anti-acne potential by an engineered skin bacterium (Knödlseder et al. 2024, Nat Biotechnol ).

The group is part of the Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS ) department at the University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), a high-class institution with demonstrated competitiveness. The lab is physically located at the Biomedical Research Park of Barcelona (PRBB ), a multidisciplinary bio-hub with state-of-the-art facilities hosting top-class research institutes, including the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), among others. The successful candidate will benefit from a stimulating and international research environment in a young and dynamic team. The host group is committed to maintaining a respectful, inclusive, and friendly working environment for all staff and students, as well as promoting personal and career development.
 

Your role:

The successful candidate will work on developing molecular tools to control and program the behaviour of non-model skin bacteria, on using these tools to develop strains with diagnostic and therapeutic capacity, and on characterizing the potential of the synthetic strains. The candidate is also expected to write articles, present results at seminars / conferences, contribute to the training of undergraduate students, collaborate with other group members and labs, and apply for PhD fellowships. If interested, the candidate can also participate in teaching and outreach activities.

Requirements

Research Field

Biological sciences

Education Level

Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

1) A BSc or MSc in Biology, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, or a related discipline.

2) Excellent track-record of BSc and MSc degrees is highly valued (average > 8/10).

3) Experience:
     - Essential: expertise in at least one of the following: synthetic biology, molecular biology, microbiome engineering, microbiology, bioengineering.
     - Highly desirable: experience with non-model bacteria, cell culture, and/or animal models (animal handling accreditation).
     - Desirable: experience in tool development for non-model bacteria, anaerobic cultivation, skin physiology/disease, 3D skin models.

4) Competencies & skills:
     • High motivation and proactivity.
     • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
     • Strong organizational skills.
     • Scientific integrity and rigor.
     • A good command (spoken & written) of English language.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Research Field

Biological sciences

Additional Information
Benefits

• A full-time PhD contract for 4 years.
• Competitive salary.
• 36 days/year of paid holidays: 22 days of personal choice + 14 bank holidays.
• Full access to the Spanish national social security, including free-of-charge access to the health system and unemployment and retirement contributions.
• Measures to reconcile work & family life, including parental leave and flexible working hours.
• Mentorship and training, including access to free courses and resources, to accelerate your professional development.

Additional comments

Please send your application to [email protected]  with ‘PhD skin’ as the subject line. Provide your ID/Passport number in the body of the email, and include all of the following in a single PDF document named as ‘PhD skin_yourName_yourSurname.pdf’:

     1) Motivation letter
     2) CV
     3) Contact details of 2 references
 

Questions?
Please contact Javier Santos-Moreno ([email protected] ) for inquires.

Website for additional job details

https://www.upf.edu/documents/2869130/286846873/J+Santos+Moreno+-+PhD+offer+Ski…

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Country

Spain

State/Province

Barcelona

City

Barcelona

Postal Code

08003

Street

Dr. Aiguader, 88

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Barcelona

Website

http://www.upf.edu/biomed

Street

Dr. Aiguader, 88

Postal Code

08003

STATUS: EXPIRED