Postdoc Fellow: Multiscale Simulations of Lipid Nanoparticles

Gothenburg, Sweden

Do you have expertise in, and passion for, Biophysics and Computational Modelling? Would you like to apply your skills to impact the development of drug delivery systems for therapeutic oligonucleotides in drug projects at AstraZeneca? Then this might be the next challenge for you!



About the Postdoc Programme:

Bring your expertise, apply your knowledge, follow the science, and make a difference. AstraZeneca's Postdoc Programme is for self-motivated individuals looking to deliver exciting, high-impact projects in a collaborative, engaging and innovative environment. You'll work with multidisciplinary scientific teams from a diverse set of backgrounds and a world-class academic mentor specifically aligned to your project. Our postdocs are respected as specialists, encouraged to speak up, and supported to share their research at conferences, publish papers, achieve their goals and make a difference to our patients.



This is a 3-year programme, with an initial 2-year period and 1-year merit-based extension.



About the Opportunity:

AstraZeneca's Pharmaceutical Sciences group, within the Biopharmaceuticals R&D function, delivers therapies of the future through scientific leadership in drug delivery, design of synthetic routes, and manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and drug products. In essence, we are working "from molecule to medicine" to develop medicines for our patients today and tomorrow.

We aim to develop next-generation innovative medicines and are passionate about expanding the use of oligonucleotides and molecular conjugates thereof, in the treatment of diseases across therapy areas.

We now have an exciting Postdoctoral Fellow opportunity in our Data Science & Modelling department of the Pharmaceutical Sciences group. The main focus of this role will be to use multi-scale modelling of Lipid/RNA systems to improve our mechanistic understanding of the Lipid Nanoparticles used for oligonucleotide delivery.

You will be part of a highly skilled group with expertise from molecular modelling to machine learning and be part of a network of AstraZeneca computational scientists. This work is also supported by a network of experts in drug formulation and characterization of lipid nanoparticles.

You will also collaborate with and receive academic guidance and mentorship from Professor Erik Lindahl (Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics at Stockholm University and Department of Applied Physics KTH Royal Institute of Technology).



Main Duties & Responsibilities:

In this exciting Postdoctoral Fellow position you will be researching and developing novel computational methods to study lipid nanoparticles to aid the development of future drug delivery systems. This will involve multiscale modelling using coarse-grained as well as atomistic models. In particular you will be investigating advanced methods for studying pH-dependent phase stability of phases of ionizable lipid/RNA systems.

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Setting up and performing simulations of model lipid/RNA systems
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Analysing and interpreting simulation results in collaboration with experts in Lipid Nanoparticle characterization and development
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Publish and present findings in peer-reviewed journals and internal & external conferences

There will be great opportunities for you to engage with key internal and external collaborators to identify and validate impactful solutions to provide scientific leadership and drive innovation.



Qualification, Skills & Experience:

Essential Requirements:

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PhD in computational Biophysics/Chemistry or equivalent
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Track record of applying molecular modelling to complex molecules
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Experience in programming and writing your own workflows



Desirable Requirements:

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Experience of GROMACS and writing workflows
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Strong track record of high-quality publications and presentations
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Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to work and communicate across different fields
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Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary research environment
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Knowledge in Statistical Thermodynamics
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Proficiency in programming (e.g. Python)



Why Should You Apply?

New modalities such as nucleotide-based therapeutics typically requires advanced delivery systems. Lipid nanoparticles is one of the most prominent alternatives but it is currently challenging to study these computationally. By developing in silico tools that will help design novel lipid nanoparticles for drug delivery you will help to deliver novel efficacious and safe medicines for our patients. This exciting project presents a unique opportunity to work in close collaboration with leading experts, pushing the frontier of simulations in this rapidly developing field.

Are you already imagining yourself joining our team? Good, because we can't wait to hear from you!



Where can I find out more?

Our Gothenburg site

AstraZeneca's Postdoc Programme

Life at AstraZeneca



Advert Opens: October 11th 2022

Advert Closes: November 14th 2022