Job offers

Section containing job offers for positions at the nanomedicine community.

The ETPN is delighted to announce two distinct postdoctoral positions in the area of nanomedicine, targeted at the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials. The positions are funded by the European projects POTENTIAL on nanosafety & the NanoCarb project on glycosylated nanoparticles for therapeutic and diagnostic applications). Both are situated at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). They fall under the expert supervision of Dr. Marco Monopoli.

Post doc Offer #1in Characterization of nanomaterials

  • Post Date : 14-Jul-2023 Close Date : 15-Sep-2023
  • Job Title: Postdoctoral fellow
  • Department: Chemistry Department
  • Reporting to: Dr Marco Monopoli
  • Location: 123 St Stephen Green, Dublin
  • Contract: specified purpose, 24 months
  • Remuneration: 42,783euro (PD1)
  • Closing Date: 15/9/2023

Job description

The position is available in the research group of Dr Marco Monopoli in the Chemistry Department of RCSI to work within a European Project on nanosafety – POTENTIAL – funded under the Horizon Europe. We are seeking a highly motivated post-doctoral researcher to carry out a study focused in obtaining a complete understanding of the mechanisms of interaction between nanomaterials and living systems, essential to predict their potential toxicity and their environmental impact. The researcher must have previous experience in the field of nanotechnology and has to be able to work at the interface of synthetic chemistry and complex fluid, such as blood plasma, cell culture media or lung lining fluids.

The researcher will characterise the nanomaterial in complex media with multiple techniques, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), Differential Centrifugal Sedimentation (DCS) and similar techniques. The candidate will also carry out mass spectrometry analysis to characterise the corona composition and will also quantify the biological stability over time. The candidate will also develop methods to isolate the NP-corona complexes without creating artefacts and aggregation due to the isolation technique. The applicant will also be responsible of supporting the activity of other team members and of writing scientific reports and assist with manuscript preparation.

Specific duties

  • Carryout a physical chemical characterisation of nanomaterials using orthogonal methods available in the institute or in the country or within the project’s network
  • Carryout biomolecular analysis of the biomolecules using proteomics and glycan analysis
  • Develop artificial biological fluids to mimic biological nanomaterial exposure
  • Develop protocols to isolate nanoparticle-protein complexes
  • Attend Work package meeting with different partners located across Europe
  • Co-supervise PhD students
  • Travel to international conferences and consortium meetings in Europe
  • Write progressive and deliverables reports
  • Support the writing of scientific papers

More information on this offer by clicking here

Post doc Offer #2 in Synthesis of nanomaterials& in vitro diagnostics

  • Job Title: Postdoctoral fellow – Nanotechnology and in vitro diagnostics
  • Department: Chemistry Department
  • Reporting to: Dr Marco Monopoli
  • Location: 123 St Stephen Green, Dublin
  • Contract/Duration: 24 months + 24months
  • Remuneration: (PD1)
  • Closing Date: 29/9/2023

Job description

RCSI is a community of academic, research and professional staff working collaboratively to lead the world to better health. Here, you will thrive in an innovative and inclusive atmosphere and your personal development and wellbeing will be supported. We invite you to join us to help deliver on our exciting mission “To educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health”. We seek candidates whose experience to date has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to the “Race Equality Action Plan 2021-2024” at RCSI.

The position is available in the research group of Dr Marco Monopoli, in the Chemistry Department in RCSI, for a research project in collaboration with an industrial partner on the topic of in vitro diagnostics.
We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Postdoctoral researcher with a background in chemistry, nanotechnology or a related field to develop a system for the isolation of glycoproteins from complex media, such as blood plasma, for in vitro diagnostic purposes.
The researcher must have previous experience in the field of nanotechnology, including the synthesis and surface functionalisation of inorganic nanomaterials with affinity-tagged molecules (including antibodies), but also extensive experience in their characterisation with common techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), Differential Centrifugal Sedimentation (DCS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and similar techniques to measure size distribution, stability and successful surface functionalisation. The candidate will also work on the characterisation of the isolated biomolecules with proteomics techniques, including mass spectrometry and glycan analysis.
A typical workflow for the study that will be carried out is described in the following manuscripts:
  • Trinh, D.N., et al. ACS Nano, 2022. 16(4): p. 5463-5475.
  • Perez-Potti, A., et al. Sci Rep, 2021. 11(1): p. 6443.
  • Trinh, D.N., et al.Nanomaterials (Basel), 2022. 12(15).

The applicant will also be responsible of supporting the activity of other team members and of writing scientific reports and assist with manuscript preparation.

Specific duties

  • anoparticle synthesis, characterisation and surface functionalisation with antibody and affinity tagged molecules for specific isolation
  • Carryout a physical chemical characterisation of nanomaterials using orthogonal methods available in the institute or in the country or within the project’s network
  • Carryout biomolecular analysis of the biomolecules using proteomics
  • Isolation and characterisation of N-glycans with UHPLC- HILIC chromatography
  • Attend monthly meetings with the industrial partner for updates
  • Co-supervise PhD students
  • Travel to international conferences and consortium meetings in Europe
  • Write progressive and deliverables reports
  • Support the writing of scientific papers

Qualifications/Experience – (Essential):

  • PhD in Chemistry, Nanotechnology or similar research areas
  • Experience and strong understanding on nanoparticle synthesis and surface conjugation to enhance selective binding to targeted biomolecules despite the protein corona formation. Previous experience with superparamagnetic nanoparticles will be an advantage.
  • Deep knowledge regarding nanomaterials size characterisation techniques (e.g. DLS, DCS, NTA, TGA, TEM etc).
  • Experience with HPLC
  • A team player that can collaborate with other researchers within the group and the institute
  • Appropriate publication record to the career stage of the applicant
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
  • Ability to interact with researchers interdisciplinary

Knowledge & Experience – (Desirable):

  • Experience with Mass spectrometry and glycan analysis software such as MaxQuant, HappyTools and similar software
  • Experience with HPLC
  • Understanding of basic techniques for protein sample handling, SDS-PAGE, glycan and mass spectrometry analysis
  • Experience in handling clinical samples and data

More info about this offer by clicking here.

Useful links for these offers:   

  • Link to the research team:  https://bionanolabgroup.wordpress.com/
  • Link to the publications of the team:  https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=V6fGFMwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Application process

Please apply online through the RCSI careers portal ( https://www.rcsi.com/careers ) as soon as possible and before the closing date with your CV and motivation letter highlighting how the applicant’s expertise will be aligned with the advertised position. Informal enquiries can be directed to marcomonopoli@rcsi.ie but it will be much appreciated to careful revise the information provided first. Please note we do not accept CVs directly and applications are not accepted when sent by email.

 

About NanoCarb

The overarching aim of the NanoCarb ETN project is to develop glycosylated nanoparticles with enhanced therapeutic actions for healthcare applications. 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) recruited for the NanoCarb project will work on their individual ESR projects designed to provide appropriate research goals for PhD students. Each ESR will be exposed to a well-balanced and optimal experience in academia, industry and research centre in order to increase their research experience and scientific maturity. More info : https://www.nanocarb.eu/