Research Specialist in DNA Nanotechnology Full-time

Research Specialist in DNA Nanotechnology

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

At the Högberg laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB), you will join one of the world's leading groups in nucleic acid nanotechnology. We use DNA and RNA both as programmable building materials and as carriers of molecular information, connecting nanoscale construction with sequence-based molecular readout. As Research Specialist in Biomedicum on the Solna campus, you will get the freedom, facilities and international network to build an independent research profile.

The position concerns nucleic acid nanotechnology, building on the multiple roles of DNA and RNA as programmable structural materials, digital information carriers and genetically encodable molecules. This includes the design, self-assembly and characterisation of nucleic acid nanostructures such as DNA origami, including dynamic and mechanically active devices; sequence-based molecular tools that encode and read out molecular identity, proximity and spatial organisation; and computational approaches to the design and analysis of such systems, with applications in nanomedicine, biosensing and molecular measurement.

As Research Specialist you will independently plan and carry out research projects in nucleic acid nanotechnology within the Högberg laboratory. Your duties include the design, fabrication and characterisation of nucleic acid nanostructures such as DNA origami, including dynamic and mechanically active systems, and the development of sequence-based molecular tools and readout strategies that exploit the information-encoding capacity of nucleic acids. You will also develop computational design and analysis workflows, apply these methods to questions in nanomedicine, biosensing and molecular measurement in collaboration with other members of the group and external partners, contribute to the acquisition of external research funding, take part in the co-supervision of junior lab members, and disseminate results through publications and presentations at international conferences.

To be eligible for employment as a Research Specialist, in addition to holding a Degree of Doctor, PhD, or having a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a Swedish doctoral degree, the applicant must have demonstrated research expertise as well as have documented postdoctoral research experience.

In addition, the following requirements apply for this position:

• at least five years of research experience at post-PhD level
• a documented publication record in international peer-reviewed journals, including as first or corresponding author
• good oral and written proficiency in English

The assessment will be based on the documentation submitted with the application, presented in accordance with Karolinska Institutet's qualifications portfolio, and may be complemented by interviews and references.

It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has shown documented expertise across several areas of nucleic acid nanotechnology, such as the design, self-assembly and characterisation of DNA origami, dynamic or mechanically active nanodevices, or sequence-based molecular readout methods, evidenced by publications in leading international journals. Demonstrated scientific independence, including experience of formulating and leading own research projects and of attracting competitive research funding. Documented experience of the development of new methods or molecular tools within nucleic acid nanotechnology.

Experience of computer-aided design or simulation of nucleic acid nanostructures, experience of international research collaboration and research mobility, experience of translational aspects of nucleic acid nanotechnology, such as intellectual property or applications in nanomedicine and diagnostics, experience of supervision or mentoring of junior researchers, good collaborative skills and the ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment.

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Here, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.