The newly established laboratory of Laura de Rooij at CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, is recruiting a highly motivated Technical Assistant to join an international team working at the intersection of vascular biology and aging. The lab is specifically interested in investigating the transcriptomic make-up and function of circulating endothelial cells in the blood in health, healthy aging and aging-associated conditions.
In your role as a Technical Assistant, you will be involved in setting up the laboratory, you will be responsible for the lab organization, and you will contribute with your technical skills and research experience to the success of the de Rooij research group.
Laura de Rooij is looking for a dedicated Technical Assistant to help set-up an independent research laboratory. After receiving the appropriate training, the new team member will independently carry out experiments using single-cell transcriptomics and in vitro vascular assays. In addition, the new group member will be a part of individual as well as group meetings to deepen the understanding of the scientific directions in the field of vascular aging.
Requirements and desired qualifications
- Degree in life sciences (BSc, MS., Mag, DI) or equivalent training (HBLVA Rosensteingasse, etc.)
- Eager to join a young team and be trained in new techniques and science of vascular biology and profiling of rare, circulating endothelial cell types in human blood samples
- Qualified laboratory experience in molecular and cellular biology and/or angiogenesis assays
- Experience with co-culturing techniques and/or 3D cell culture (e.g. organoids) is a plus
- Experience with human blood sample handling, FACS/MACS-based cell sorting, and/or single-cell RNA-sequencing is a plus
- Excellent written and oral communication skills English, good German skills are a plus
- High accuracy and reliability, able to work seamlessly in a team
- Excellent communication skills and organizational skills
Tasks and responsibilities
- Laboratory organization, ordering of laboratory consumables
- Preparation of single cell RNA-sequencing libraries
- Cell isolation and sorting of primary human blood cells
- Functional vascular assays, such as colony formation, migration or spheroid sprouting
- Phenotyping of cultured endothelial cells using multicolour flow cytometry
- Set up of (perfusable) 3D vascular assays
The Laura de Rooij Laboratory
The goal of the Laura de Rooij laboratory is to combine transcriptomics and functional vascular assays to increase our fundamental understanding of the molecular make-up and function of circulating endothelial cells in health, healthy aging and aging-associated disease. Besides making use of state-of-the-art single-cell RNA-sequencing, the group will use 2D in vitro approaches to study the overall function of freshly isolated circulating endothelial cells, and the possibility of their ex vivo expansion while maintaining their in vivo transcriptomic phenotype. Moreover, the usage of 3D (perfusable) vascular model systems will be explored to functionally characterize the interaction of circulating endothelial cells with blood vessels in a human context. Altogether, the lab aims to answer several outstanding questions, including if and how circulating endothelial cells home to areas of vessel or tissue injury, how they aid in the angiogenic process, and whether aging compromises their function or reparative abilities.
About the Institute
The mission of CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences is to achieve maximum scientific innovation in molecular medicine to improve healthcare. At CeMM, an international and creative team of scientists and medical doctors pursues free-minded basic life science research in a large and vibrant hospital environment of outstanding medical tradition and practice. CeMM’s research is based on post-genomic technologies and focuses on societally important diseases, such as immune disorders and infections, cancer and metabolic disorders. CeMM operates in a unique mode of super-cooperation, connecting biology with medicine, experiments with computation, discovery with translation, and science with society and the arts. CeMM discovers and develops technologies to explore human biology with the purpose of defeating disease at its roots. Because Science is our Medicine! CeMM trains a modern blend of biomedical scientists and is located at the campus of the General Hospital and the Medical University of Vienna. More than 150 people from 45 nationalities are working at CeMM. CeMM promotes equal opportunity and harbors a mix of different talents, backgrounds, competences, and interests.
We offer
- Work within an experienced, interdisciplinary, and international team at one of Austria’s leading research institutes
- Ample opportunities to contribute and gain experience in a key area of biomedical research and precision medicine
- An inspiring workplace with an international setting, strong team spirit, and an excellent work climate
- A wide range of social, cultural, and sports activities organized by the institute
- Excellent employee benefits including full insurance coverage (health, accident, retirement), health care services, subsidized cafeteria
- Starting annual gross salary of at least EUR 35,000 (following the recommendations of FWF)
- Support for relocating to Vienna is provided (relocation reimbursement, visa support, etc.)
Application details
Please apply online (https://cemm.onlyfy.jobs/job/uhejaf12) with cover letter, CV and contact details of 2 referees. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Any application received by 6 November 2022 will be considered.