Lab technician – A high-throughput platform for agent testing in patient-derived acute myeloid leukemia cells

Job Description

Industry: Hospitals and Health Care
Seniority for this role: Entry level
Are you looking for a challenge? We are seeking a creative and energetic research technician candidate to join the Heidenreich group. The project aims at the development of an ex vivo platform to explore novel therapies for childhood AML and to identify the best treatments for patients running out of options. You will be working in a stimulating, multidisciplinary and multinational environment together with other international teams. Do you want to make a difference? We would love to hear from you! The project Current approaches of drug testing in AML are mostly restricted to the use of cell lines which reflect neither inter- nor intra-patient clonal heterogeneity and complexity. In this project, you will combine wet lab and bioinformatics to harness a co-culture approach for primary AML cells towards a high-throughput compound testing platform. Therewith linked, you will develop an evaluation pipeline for the analysis of treatment responses of patient cells. An important aspirational feature of this pipeline is that it shall yield real cell numbers instead of metabolic surrogate values and shall also monitor induction of myeloid differentiation as a possible drug response. You will apply this platform to perform drug screenings in primary AMLs using in-house compound libraries. You will also explore possible synergistic combinations of validated hits with compounds currently under clinical evaluation or in clinical use. These experiments also aim to facilitate the inclusion of promising compounds into future clinical trials. Furthermore, you will functionally stratify AML patients for trial inclusion or compassionate drug use. In parallel, you will examine how predictive this ex vivo platform is for patient responses. To that end, you will treat patient samples obtained from early phase clinical trials with the corresponding agent and will compare ex vivo efficacy on our platform with patient response. In summary, you will contribute to establish a testing platform that will identify novel drugs and treatment options for children suffering of relapsed or refractory AML. Your profile Qualifications We are looking for a creative and highly motivated lab technician, who is eager to spearhead this project, with the following qualifications and skills: A Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent in (molecular) biology, biomedical sciences or related disciplines. A strong interest in translational childhood cancer research Demonstrated experience of performing experiments in a laboratory. For instances, hands-on experience with cell culture, immunohistochemistry and imaging and molecular and genomics techniques. A strong motivation, attention to detail, flexibility, well-organized and good data management skills are critical. The ability to work independently as well as collaborative in multidisciplinary and multicultural research team. Excellent lab management skills. Good English written and verbal communication skills. Our job offer We offer you a stimulating position within a unique pediatric oncology center in the Netherlands and Europe. You will have the opportunity to engage in the entire scope of translational research on childhood cancer. You will also actively support the overarching project. You will start on a temporary position for 36 hours per week for the duration of one year, which – upon satisfactory completion of the first year – will be extended by another 1.5 years. Your gross monthly salary will start in FWG 45 with a maximum salary of €4.015,- gross a month for a fulltime working week (36 hours). You also receive 8,33% holiday allowance and 8,33 % end-of-year bonus. The Princess Máxima Center operates according to the collective labor agreement ‘cao ziekenhuizen’. The Princess Máxima Center The Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology is a research hospital concentrating healthcare, research and education with regard to cancer in children in a single location in Utrecht. The institute aims to provide the highest level of care for all children with cancer and has the ambition to cure all children of cancer and significantly reduce unwanted side effects. The center brings together the best possible care and scientific research, creating a unique interdisciplinary institute for pediatric oncology in Europe. The Heidenreich group We Are Interested In Understanding How Leukaemic Drivers With a Focus On Fusion Genes Maintain Leukaemia, And To Translate Our Findings Into Therapeutic Concepts. This Includes The development of complex culture conditions to examine treatment responses of AML cells in the context of the niche; To investigate how leukaemic drivers affect the communication within the leukaemic niche and the immune microenvironment; The development and application of RNAi delivery tools for direct therapeutic interference with leukaemic fusion genes. The ultimate aim is to develop highly cancer-specific therapeutic approaches with optimal efficacy and patient quality of life. Applying for this position? Are you excited about this position? We are looking forward to meeting you! You can apply directly by clicking on the orange button on this page. We invite you to apply as soon as possible, since we will close the vacancy when we have found a suitable candidate. Please Provide an up-to-date resume/CV a short motivation letter describing your background and interests For more information about this position, please contact Olaf Heidenreich . Olaf will be happy to tell you more! Acquisitie naar aanleiding van deze vacature wordt niet op prijs gesteld. Solliciteer direct Solliciteer direct Details – 32-36 hours per week – FWG: 45 – Min. €2.982,- max. €4.015,- Contactpersoon Olaf Heidenreich Stuur een e-mail Deel deze pagina Show more Show less