The Khammash Lab at ETH Zurich is seeking a motivated and skilled postdoctoral researcher to join our interdisciplinary team working at the interface of synthetic biology, control engineering, and immunoengineering. This position is part of our newly funded ERC Advanced Grant, which aims to develop genetically engineered feedback control circuits in human T cells to tackle challenging diseases. The successful candidate will work closely with a team of engineers and biologists to design, clone, and test synthetic circuits in primary human T cells, and help translate these circuits into functional cellular therapies.
Job description
Responsibilities include engineering, transducing, and characterizing primary T cells with synthetic genetic circuits; optimizing protocols for retroviral or lentiviral transduction, cell culture, and immune functional assays; supporting in vivo model development, such as adoptive T-cell transfer in mice, for preclinical testing; collaborating with molecular biologists, computational modelers, and clinical researchers; documenting results for publications and presentations; and troubleshooting workflows in T cell culture, molecular cloning, and viral production.
Profile
* PhD in bioengineering or related field.
* Practical experience in primary T-cell isolation, culture, transduction (retroviral/lentiviral), and flow cytometry.
* Experience with viral vector production (e.g., lentivirus, retrovirus) and/or non-viral gene delivery tools such as PiggyBac or Sleeping Beauty is highly desirable.
* Experience with murine models, especially adoptive cell therapy, is advantageous but not mandatory.
* Experience with engineering allogeneic T cell products is a plus.
* Excellent laboratory and organizational skills; ability to work independently and collaboratively.
* Good communication skills in English.
Beyond technical skills, the candidate should demonstrate social and leadership competencies such as responsibility, well-being promotion, innovation, inclusivity, collaboration, and mentorship.
We offer
* A stimulating, supportive, and international research environment at ETH Zurich.
* Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the interface of control engineering, synthetic biology, and medicine.
* Access to state-of-the-art facilities and world-class collaborators.
* Impactful work: Join ETH Zurich, which supports professional growth and societal contributions.
* Active commitment to a sustainable and climate-neutral university.
* Benefits such as public transport tickets, car sharing, sports programs, childcare, and pension schemes.
Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich
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About ETH Zürich
ETH Zurich is a leading university in science and technology, known for excellent education, pioneering research, and societal impact. With over 30,000 staff and students from more than 120 countries, located in Europe but globally connected, we develop solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s global challenges.
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