PhD student

Job description

This PhD student position is part of the NATRPRIME EU Horizon Europe Funded Doctoral Network (https://www.natprime.org). We are seeking 20 ambitious, curious, and creative individuals to join our research and training activities focused on the targeted delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics. These doctoral candidates will receive training from world-leading experts in academia and industry within this field. The position offers a fully funded 4-year PhD scholarship, including opportunities for secondments (research visits of several months) at other consortium members.

Under the guidance of Prof. Bruno De Geest, the lab operates at the intersection of chemistry, nanotechnology, and immunology, with a mission to enhance the immune system's response to internal threats such as cancer and external threats like viral pathogens and harmful drug substances.

The primary objective of this PhD project is to develop ligand-functionalized lipid nanoparticles for immunotherapy applications, utilizing mRNA as the therapeutic cargo. The PhD student will focus on synthesizing ionizable lipids for mRNA complexation and will explore chemical or biochemical methods to conjugate small molecules, peptides, or protein-based ligands onto the surface of lipid nanoparticles. The study will investigate how ligand density influences the immunobiological behavior of these particles in both in vitro and in vivo settings, including animal experiments using preclinical mouse tumor models.

Further information on the research interests of the lab of Prof. Bruno De Geest can be found on their website: https://brdegeest.wixsite.com/biopharmtech-degeest

Job profile

Qualifications
Applicants should hold or expect to attain, as a minimum a Master’s degree, or equivalent, in Chemistry, Materials Science, Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biomedical Science, Polymer Chemistry, Pharmaceutics or related area.

Knowledge and Experience

• Research project carried out in at least one of the above disciplines.
• A demonstrated knowledge of at least two of the following: organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, lipid chemistry, drug delivery, immunology, in vitro cell culture work, in vivo animal work
  
  

Skills and Competencies

• Good communication skills in English (speaking and writing)
• Evidence of interest, aptitude and research experience in the above disciplines.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 01/01/2025 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).

How to apply

Application: use the form on this website: www.natprime.org

Further information: For any informal queries, please contact Prof. Bruno De Geest by sending an email to br.degeest@ugent.be