Postdoctoral Fellow - Genetic screening iPSC-derived models

Are you a curious and collaborative scientist in the field of genome engineering and human pluripotent stem cell models of disease mechanisms? Would you like to drive the development of CRISPR/CAS9 genetic screens in stem-cell derived models to uncover novel therapeutic opportunities in neuroscience? This might be the next challenge for you!

At AstraZeneca, our culture is defined and shaped by our people, who have a real say in what happens here. Our success depends on encouraging an entrepreneurial culture that drives disruption and innovation.

Discovery Sciences is an inclusive organization where we apply deep technical expertise in specialist technologies to support the delivery of targets and molecules to the early AstraZeneca pipeline.

We are now looking for a highly motivated, innovative and passionate Postdoctoral Research Fellow with expertise in neuroscience, iPSC differentiation and pooled CRISPR screens to join us in the Applied Stem Cell Sciences team in Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca in Gothenburg, Sweden.



What you'll do

You will be working alongside our stem cell scientists, collaborating closely with the Neuroscience and Functional Genomics groups. Using your solid understanding and experience in stem cell biology, cell model development and CRISPR technology you will have the opportunity to apply genomic perturbation and next generation sequencing technologies to advance our understanding of neurodegenerative mechanisms.

We will rely on you to:

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Establish robust phenotypic endpoints using imaging or transcriptomics in iPSC-derived neural cultures in the context of disease biology
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Design, develop, execute and analyse pooled CRISPR genetic perturbation screens in therapeutically relevant models in collaboration with cross-functional teams
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Utilise gene editing technologies to develop in vitro functional models for pathway deconvolution and target validation



Essential for the role

We believe that you have a PhD in Molecular or Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Genomics, Bioengineering or related field. This is complemented by experience of NGS and gene editing technologies to assess gene functions in vitro, either from an academic or industry lab.

You are naturally curious, with an interest to learn new techniques and approaches. You have strong analytical, time management and organization skills and you have a great eye for details.

Ability to work independently, taking initiatives, is important, however it is equally essential that you possess great interpersonal skills to drive collaboration and learning opportunities for yourself and others.

You also have:

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Track record of productivity and effective projects, demonstrated by high-impact publication
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Proven high efficiency in developing mechanistic models of disease using human pluripotent stem cells
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Strong imaging skill set including immunohistochemistry, high-content imaging, and flow-cytometry
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Utilizing genomic perturbation (ASOs, RNAi, CRISPR) with mammalian cell models for interrogating disease pathways and target validation
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Design and execution of pooled CRISPR screens for pathway discovery



Desirable for the role

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Familiarity with single-cell next-generation sequencing based endpoints (Perturb-seq, CRISP-seq, CROP-seq) and high-throughput transcriptomics
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Solid understanding of liquid handling robotics (Hamilton, BioMEK, Tecan) for mammalian cell culture or NGS library preparation



Why AstraZeneca?

We truly believe that everyone contributes with a unique set of competence. Your curiosity and passion for personal development combined with support from colleagues, mentors and leaders, will ensure you maximise your skills, abilities and contribution.



So, what's next?

If you're curious to know more please contact Bilada Bilican https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilada-bilican-a87a80/ or Oliver Freeman https://www.linkedin.com/in/ojfreeman/

We welcome your application, no later than September 10th, 2021.



Where can I find out more?

AstraZeneca Gothenburg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw2wfcO5pLI

This is what we're made of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmFx_jr2eFo&t=2s

AstraZeneca - Global Gothenburg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPzcc1e13yQ

AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/