Thesis work: Extracellular vesicles engineering

Job description
Extracellular vesicles engineering

Thesis project: 30 credits
Student location: AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
Start: January 2022
Supervisors: Alena Ivanova alena.ivanova@astrazeneca.com

Would you like to learn about the therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles and world class research in an industrial setting and in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be of interest to you!

AstraZeneca and Discovery Sciences
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines for a variety of serious diseases. You will be joining our Discovery Sciences function, which operates from a state-of-the-art center in Sweden. Here, you will work side-by-side with some of the most knowledgeable technical experts in the industry, all collaborating on high-profile drug discovery projects.  Our team has developed extensive expertise in the field since 2016, and our research has been resulting in high impact publications over the years (Heath et al., Sci. Rep., 2018; Saleh et al., Nanoscale, 2019, Lázaro-Ibáñez et al., ACS Nano, 2021, Silva, JEV, 2021).

Responsibilities
We have an attractive opening for a Master's student to join our extracellular vesicles team. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released by virtually every cell in our body.  EVs have come into focus of extensive research during the last decade, because of their broad biological functions and roles in various diseases. Due to their heterogeneity in size and intracellular origin, they can participate in information exchange between distant cells via the transport of biological molecules. EVs can carry a variety of proteins, RNA, and DNA molecules. Moreover, EVs have been recently implemented for the delivery of therapeutic cargos to the target cells. One of the fields that can take major advantage of this new technology is heart failure. In fact, upon injury, the human heart has a limited capacity for repair and regeneration (Liu et al., Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2018). Therefore, it is crucial to find treatments that can improve heart recovery, and EVs might offer a new promising therapeutic approach.

In this placement, you will be involved in a therapeutic-oriented project (translational research). You will have the opportunity to work with the latest scientific technologies actively involved in the actual research of the group. In particular, during this placement, you will learn design and cell engineering, extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolation and characterization techniques, mammalian cell culture, cell-binding, and cell-uptake assays, and will gain hands-on experience in molecular biology methods such as plasmid preparation, western blotting, nanoparticle tracking analysis, flow cytometry, microscopy, and others.

Qualifications
Essential Requirements 
Experience with molecular and cell biology techniques 
 Experience with mammalian cell culture
Interest in lab-based research
Excellent team working and communicative skills


Desirable Requirements
Experience of cell imaging, confocal microscopy, FACS.
working experience of isolation, characterization and manipulation of extracellular vesicles.


Application
Randstad Life Sciences is cooperating with AstraZeneca in this recruitment process. We only handle applications sent through Randstad’s website.

All chosen candidates need to pass a background check and an alcohol and drug test before starting the project.

Deadline for application: 2021-10-08

For more information: Veronika Knudsen veronika.knudsen@randstad.se or Kerstin Karlsson kerstin.karlsson@randstad.se

About the company
At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life changing medicines and strive to continuously meet the unmet needs of patients worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.

Our Gothenburg site is one of AstraZeneca's three strategic science centers. We thrive in a multinational environment working cross-functionally across the globe with AstraZeneca colleagues as well as academic and industry partners. Our way of life is to foster a working environment that nurtures collaboration, openness and innovation. Therefore, we have created space for meetings, socializing and relaxation, where spontaneous meetings can give birth to new innovations. The unexpected ideas or thoughts that can come from a chat over something as simple as a cup of  coffee or a stroll on our “walk and talk” meeting trail. AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law. AstraZeneca only employs individuals with the right to work in the country/ies where the role is advertised.