Postdoctoral position in microfluidic RNAseq-based screening for optimal T-cell expansion protocols

EPFL; Vaud; On-site; CHF 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Multidisciplinary environment

Exposure to cutting-edge procedures

Preparation for future academic/bioph冗

Job summary

EPFL's LBMM seeks a postdoctoral fellow in Lausanne to lead highly multiplexed RNAseq-based screening for optimal T-cell expansion protocols. Work spans microfluidics, NGS library prep, data analysis, and close collaboration with clinical partners to derive translational protocols.

You will interact with microfluidics and bioinformatics experts, contribute to platform development, and advance autologous TIL expansion toward clinical application in a translational lab setting.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in cell biology and NGS.
• Good knowledge of T-cell expansion and therapy.
• Motivated to drive tech development.

Responsibilities

• Optimization of microfluidic and biochemical workflows.
• Development of miniaturized T-cell expansion assays, including feeder cells.
• Preparation of NGS libraries.
• Data analysis with help from a bioinformatics facility.

Skills

Cell biology

NGS

T-cell expansion

Tech development drive

Education

PhD in biology/biomedical sciences

Tools

Microfluidic platforms

Job description

EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

Postdoctoral position in microfluidic RNAseq-based screening for optimal T-cell expansion protocols

Mission

The Laboratory of Biomedical Microfluidics (LBMM; www.epfl.ch/labs/lbmm ) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is looking for postdocs with a primary training in cell biology and next generation sequencing. Experience in droplet-microfluidics, including use of commercial devices such as the 10X Genomics platform is beneficial, but not absolutely crucial.

For two decades, LBMM has developed powerful technology platforms in the field of biomedicine and genomics, also resulting in the establishment of two startup companies ( www.veraxa.de and www.thera-me.ch ) and a NASDAQ IPO. Having a comprehensive microfluidic toolbox at hand (and expanding it continuously), we are now inviting applications for highly multiplexed RNAseq-based screening for optimal T-cell expansion protocols. In close collaboration with the lab of George Coukos ( https://agora-cancer.ch/laboratory/coukos-lab/ ), we will derive protocols enabling rapid expansion of cancer-specific, autologous TILs for clinical application. The project will be based on repurposing existing microfluidic platforms (e.g. Mathur et al., Nature Communications, Utharala et al., Nature Protocols).

The LBMM has a very translational focus, running a tech development lab on the EPFL campus and a translational lab in the AGORA cancer research center (with direct access to patient material). Furthermore, a strong network of clinical partners in Europe and the US has been established.

The successful candidate will closely interact with experts in microfluidics and bioinformatics, while spearheading the above project.

Main duties and responsibilities include

• Optimization of microfluidic and biochemical workflows
• Development of miniaturized T-cell expansion assays, including feeder cells
• Preparation of NGS libraries
• Data analysis with help from a bioinformatics facility

Your profile

• Hands-on experience in cell biology and NGS
• Good knowledge in T-cell expansion and therapy
• Motivated in driving tech development
• Prior experience in microfluidics is advantageous but not absolutely required

We offer

• A multidisciplinary environment
• Exposure to the latest cutting-edge experimental procedures (e.g. custom microfluidic platforms and sequencing approaches)
• Preparation for a future career in academia, industry or startup companies

For any further information, please contact: Prof. Christoph Merten, [e-mail]