PhD (x2) in Staphylococcus aureus immune interaction

Working at Amsterdam UMC

PhD (x2) in Staphylococcus aureus immune interaction

Do you have ambition to be trained in broad, top-class scientific and professional skills and gain experience in industry and academia? Apply now!

The project

AUREUS is a multidisciplinary European Training Network, consisting of 11 academic groups and 5 companies, that will train a new generation of researchers to counteract multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. The international research team combines expertise in the fields of chemistry, (micro-)biology and immunology.

• Project 1: You will focus on the role of dendritic cells (DCs) at barrier sites, especially skin, since these cells are critical for early detection and elimination of infecting Staphylococcus aureus. Using synthetic glycan fragments, recombinant C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) and characterized S. aureus WTA wild-type and mutant strains, you will:

1. Identify recognition of S. aureus glycans by DC-expressed CLRs;
2. Determine human DCs immunological responses in response to S. aureus glycans;
3. Interrogate whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms in critical CLR residues occur in the population. If this is the case, the SNP-CLR variant will be expressed as recombinant protein and in cell line models to assess their impact on S. aureus detection.

About your role

You will receive high level, cutting-edge training in host-pathogen research with a focus on S. aureus. In addition, you will be trained in transferable skills and will have the opportunity to receive complementary research in the labs of collaborators at Universite Grenoble Alpes (UGA), France; Universitat Wien (UNIVIE), Austria and Iceni Glycoscience Limited (ICENI), United Kingdom.

About you

• You comply with the transnational mobility rule of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral network. You did not reside or carry out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status are not considered.
• Master degree in Biomedical Sciences, Veterinary Sciences or other life-science relevant field.
• You have experience with molecular (micro-)biology techniques and/or flow cytometry and cell culture.
• For project 2: interest or expertise with antibodies or B cells is preferred.
• You have an appreciation for interdisciplinary work with interest in chemistry.
• You have excellent verbal and written communication in English.
• You are intrinsically motivated, scientifically curious and a team player.
• You are eligible to work in the European Union.

Our offer

• A great start of your research career in an internationally renowned research lab and in an interdisciplinary international network.
• Opportunity to perform creative and state-of-the-art research in the field of infectious diseases.
• Work in a mid-sized team on collaborative and independent projects with highly motivated colleagues.
• Participation in network-wide training activities, courses, workshops and conferences.
• As a student in the AMC Graduate School you will also have access to additional training and development.
• A contract for 12 months, with the intention to extend for a total of 4 years.
• Classification in salary scale OIO: € 3.017 to € 3.824 gross for full-time employment (depending on education and experience).
• In addition to a good basic salary, we offer 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Vacation hours: 190.4 per year for full-time and possibility to save additional hours.
• Free and unlimited access to our online learning environment GoodHabitz.
• Pension accrual with the ABP, of which we pay 70% of the premium.
• A reimbursement of your public transport expenses. Do you prefer to come by bike? Then we have a good bicycle scheme.
• An active staff association and Jong Amsterdam UMC association, both of which organize fun (sports) activities and events.

About your workplace

Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, houses the university hospital and the medical faculty of the University of Amsterdam, as well as several research institutes. Infectious Diseases represents one of the major areas of clinical, applied and basic research, integrated at the Amsterdam infection and Immunity Institute (AI&II).

The PhD position is embedded in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention that is responsible for clinical diagnostics and infectious disease consultations, (bio)medical education and training, and research, thereby providing a broad insight into the full range of disciplines in medical microbiology, including bacteriology, virology and parasitology.

You will be joining the research group of Prof. dr. Nina van Sorge within the Laboratory for Experimental Bacteriology. Currently, the group consists of 5 postdocs and 3 PhD students, an associate professor and 2 technicians that are supportive of the day-to-day work and logistics.

Our research group has close collaboration with investigators and clinicians within the AMC, but also at the national and international level, which greatly complements our expertise and technological abilities to advance the research in host-pathogen interaction.

Amsterdam UMC has an open culture. This means that we hope that everyone feels welcome in our organization and that we strive to offer equal opportunities to everyone. We therefore cordially invite all interested parties to respond to this vacancy.

If you have any questions about this position, please feel free to contact Nina van Sorge, professor, via n.m.vansorge@amsterdamumc.nl.

For more information about the application procedure, please contact Rhiannon Sandfort, recruitment advisor, via r.e.sandfort@amsterdamumc.nl.