Postdoc position in natural killer cell biology and cell therapy (ref 261622)

PRIMA is a new Center of Excellence in Precision Immunotherapy at the University of Oslo funded by the Research Council of Norway. https://www.prima.uio.no/english/. We are now recruiting a postdoc to join a team-based alliance and contribute to the next generation immunotherapy strategies.

Advances in genetic engineering combined with the rise of single cell methods and advanced subcellular imaging technologies, have opened up new and exciting opportunities to study immunology. We are seeking a highly motivated and self-driven postdoc who has a keen interest in basic immunology and translational research.

Broadly speaking, the research project aims at improving cell-based immunotherapy through a deeper understanding of the functional regulation of NK cells. The project will decipher subcellular processes in NK cells, including inter-organelle communication through ion channels, positioning and trafficking of molecules within the cell, energy usage, and how these regulate effector functions in NK cells at different time-scales. Experiments using various types of perturbations, including mechanical forces, metabolic stress and hypoxia will be implemented to identify pathways that make NK cells more resilient to the suppressive tumor microenvironment. Insights from these fundamental biological studies pave way for synthetic engineering of the functional NK cell template for off-the-shelf cell therapy.

Laboratory work will include a variety of single cell technologies, such as confocal microscopy and live cell imaging, high-dimensional immune profiling by flow cytometry, single-cell indexed FACS-sorting and RNA sequencing. Additionally, viral transduction and CRISRP/Cas9 will be used to genetically engineer primary NK cells, NK cell lines and/or iPSC-derived NK cells. 3D killing assays will be implemented to monitor and evaluate the function of the engineered NK cells, such as cytotoxicity, migration and proliferation, in a complex environment.

For more information and how to apply: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/261622/postdoc-position-in-natural-killer-cell-biology-and-cell-therapy