Job Information
- Organisation/Company
- NIBRT
- Department
- Research
- Research Field
- Other
- Researcher Profile
- First Stage Researcher (R1)
- Country
- Ireland
- Application Deadline
- Type of Contract
- Temporary
- Job Status
- Full-time
- Hours Per Week
- 35
- Offer Starting Date
- 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?
- Yes
Offer Description
ROLE SUMMARY
Premature termination codons (PTCs) are responsible for 10–15% of all genetic disease. PTC mutations inhibit synthesis of full-length proteins and may be more deleterious than missense mutations as they result in the loss of protein expression. With no approved therapy and many severe disease phenotypes including cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy, PTC-derived disease represents an unmet medical need. We are seeking a highly motivated and creative individual to develop novel RNA-therapeutics for treatment of PTC-related disease. Applicants are invited to apply for a four-year SFI-IRC funded PhD studentship working in the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT).
The project will be conducted under the direct supervision of Dr. Alan Costello and the student will be registered to the UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering.
ROLE PURPOSE
The lab aims to discover new-to-nature biomolecular functions for the betterment of human health and society. The successful applicant will work closely with the PI applying synthetic biology and directed evolution methods to uncover novel RNA-therapeutics. Working collaboratively, they will engineer and evolve transfer RNAs (tRNAs) to decode PTCs within the mRNA of disease related genes and identify strategies to improve delivery of these molecules.
Key Responsibilities:
- Perform experiments including data collection and analysis, both individually and with others.
- Maintain a detailed record of all work and make this available to the PI routinely.
- Present project updates to the lab during group meetings.
- Disseminate research findings to the greater scientific community via oral or poster presentations at conferences, invited talks, and peer-reviewed publications.
- Comply with all NIBRT and UCD policies and regulations, including those in relation to Research Ethics, Data Storage, and Health and Safety.
Requirements
- Research Field
- Other
- Education Level
- Undergraduate
Essential Criteria:
- Applicants must have or expect to obtain an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, chemistry, biology, or related field, minimum grade 2.1 (or equivalent).
- Be enthusiastic, solution-orientated, resilient, and a team player.
- Have strong oral and written communication, record keeping, and presentation skills.
- Exhibit excellent collaborative and interpersonal skills.
Desirable Criteria:
- A good understanding of nucleic acid and protein biochemistry.
- Prior experience with DNA assembly, mammalian cell culture, biomolecular engineering, and strain/ cell engineering are all beneficial but not necessary.
- Experience with bioinformatics pipelines for high-throughput sequencing is also a plus but not required.
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Good
Additional Information
Stipend payable monthly to employee
25 days paid holidays
Private Health insurance paid for employee
All benefits can be viewed on www.nibrt.ie/careers or contact careers@nibrt.ie for more details
We can support you obtaining a Hosting Agreement (work permit)
Essential Criteria:
- Applicants must have or expect to obtain an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, chemistry, biology, or related field, minimum grade 2.1 (or equivalent).
- Be enthusiastic, solution-orientated, resilient, and a team player.
- Have strong oral and written communication, record keeping, and presentation skills.
- Exhibit excellent collaborative and interpersonal skills.
Application will be reviewed by Dr. Costello, Shortlisting and screening virtual interview, final interview with Dr Costello and Prof Barron.
Application: The application should include
- a cover letter (max one page) describing your interest in the project and pursuing a PhD,
- a detailed CV, and
- contact details for two references.
Applicants should submit these documents in pdf format with the subject line “SFI-IRC 2024 PhD Studentship Application” to acostello@scripps.edu with c.c. to careers@nibrt.ie
Informal inquiries about the project may also be addressed to Dr. Costello by email.
We welcome enquiries in confidence - careers@nibrt.ie - we are happy to answer questions! Please reach out!
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- NIBRT
- Country
- Ireland
- Geofield
Where to apply
- acostello@scripps.edu
Contact
- State/Province
- Blackrock
- City
- Dublin
- Website
- Street
- Foster Avenue
- acostello@scripps.educareers@nibrt.ie