PhD position in cancer chromatin biology

Universitetet I Oslo; Oslo; On-site; NOK 551,000 - 608,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Public sector pension

Norwegian language courses

Healthy career development

Job summary

The University of Oslo invites applications for a 3-year PhD position in cancer chromatin and structural biology within the Collas Lab. The project focuses on SOX2 regulation by microproteins using cell-based and epigenomic assays, with crystallographic aims.

Admission to the Medical Faculty's PhD program is required, with a three-year completion target. Responsibilities include planning experiments, cellular assays, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.

Qualifications

• Five-year master's degree or equivalent in molecular biology, epigenetics or related field with minimum B grade (ECTS).
• Experience in cell and molecular biology, including vector design, cloning and cell line engineering.
• Knowledge of chromatin, transcriptional regulation or microproteins.
• Fluent English (spoken and written).

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute genomics (RNA‑seq/ATAC‑seq/ChIP‑seq), proteomics and recombinant protein work.
• Design and perform cellular assays.
• Maintain accurate electronic lab records and analyze data.
• Present results at group meetings and contribute to manuscript writing.
• Complete the required doctoral coursework.

Skills

Cell biology

Molecular biology

Chromatin biology

SOX2 regulation

Education

Master's degree in molecular biology or related field

Tools

ChIP-seq

RNA-seq

ATAC-seq

Proteomics

Crystallography

Job description

PhD position in cancer chromatin biology

Applications are invited to apply for a 100% 3-year PhD position in cancer chromatin and structural biology in the research group of Prof. Philippe Collas, project group of Dr. Marie Rogne, at the Department of Molecular Medicine, Division of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo ( Collas Lab ). The position is funded through the Norwegian Research Council. The successful candidate will collaborate with partners at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

Within the Institute, the Division of Biochemistry consists of a young and active community of nine research groups working on cancer biology, chromatin and nuclear dynamics, nuclear architecture, membrane trafficking, and adipocyte, muscle and vascular biology, using human, fly and mouse models.

More about the position

The overall goal of the project is to establish knowledge of the innovative therapeutic potential of microproteins in advanced prostate cancer. In this context, the successful applicant will, in collaboration with the rest of the team and external partners, examine how specific microproteins regulate the activity of the transcription factor SOX2 using cell-based and epigenomic assays, and resolve the SOX2 microprotein complex using a crystallographic approach.

To be employed as a PhD Research Fellow, admission to the Medical Faculty's PhD program is required, or there must be a binding agreement for admission. Normally, one must apply for admission within 3 months after the start of the research project leading to the Ph.D. degree. The PhD fellow is expected to complete the project within three years.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute experiments in genomics (RNA‑seq/ATAC‑seq/ChIP‑seq), proteomics and recombinant protein expression/purification.
• Design and perform cellular assays.
• Maintain accurate electronic lab records, analyze and interpret data.
• Present results at group meetings and scientific platforms, and contribute to manuscript writing.
• Take the required doctoral coursework.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements

• To be admitted to the PhD programmes at the University of Oslo, an applicant must have a five year master's degree or equivalent studies in molecular biology, epigenetics or a related field, minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent.
• Experience in cell and molecular biology, including vector design, cloning, engineering cell lines, cell-based assays
• Knowledge and experience in chromatin, transcriptional regulation or microproteins.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.

Desired qualifications

• Experience in proteomics (wet-lab and data analysis) will be a strong advantage.
• Some background in bioinformatics analysis of epigenetic data (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, etc) is a plus.
• Experience with electronic lab-journal systems (e.g. Benchling or E-lab) is valued.
• Previous publishing experience is positive.

Personal skills

• You are independent but enjoy working as part of a team towards shared, ambitious goals.
• You are positive, structured, solution-driven and accurate, with grit and determination.
• You have a result-oriented mindset and contribute scientific and practical inputs to projects.
• You are eager to learn and develop your scientific thinking.
• Communication with other team members is important: you will therefore have excellent communication and collaborative skills.

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.

Jarli & Jordan/ UiO

We need different perspectives in our work

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no .

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues - could you be the next one?

We will provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.
More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

We hope you will apply for the position with us.

We offer

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• A professionally stimulating working environment.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse , which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550.800 to 607.500, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.
• If the person appointed does not have skills in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 at the time of employment, we will offer Norwegian language courses with the aim of achieving Norwegian language skills at least this level.
• Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal .

General information

Please note that we are unable to add documentation after the application deadline. As the deadline applies equally to all applicants, this policy ensures equal treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you experience difficulties uploading documents in Jobbnorge, please contact their customer service: Phone: [phone] or Email: [e-mail]
The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important.
The best qualified candidates will be invited for interviews.

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.
Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to recruitment positions at UiO and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.

University of Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 26 500students and 7 200employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.

The Institute of Basic Medical Sciencesoverall objective is to promote basic medical knowledge in order to understand normal processes, provide insight into mechanisms that cause illness, and promote good health. The Institute is responsible for teaching in basic medical sciences for the programmes of professional study in medicine and the Master's programme in clinical nutrition. The Institute has more than 300 employees and is located in Domus Medica.