Postdoctoral Fellow - Targeted oligo delivery
R-215852: Postdoctoral Fellow - Targeted oligo delivery
Location: Gothenburg
Competitive Salary, Bonus & Benefits Package
Are you ready to identify the next big thing at the interface between chemistry and biology? Does hijacking canonical pathways with novel chemical tools to deliver next-generation therapeutics sound interesting? Do you have expertise in or a passion for applying chemical biology thinking to solve difficult problems in drug discovery? Then this is the position for you.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-centred biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. But we’re more than a global leading pharmaceutical company. At AstraZeneca, we're dedicated to being a Great Place to Work and empowering employees to push the boundaries of science and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit.
About our 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 projects in an encouraging, 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.
Make a more meaningful impact in your career, with greater ownership and accountability to make a contribution whilst making a difference to the lives of our patients!
This is a 3-year programme, with an initial 2-year period and a 1-year merit-based extension.
About the Opportunity
The purpose of this position is to provide early-career researchers with an opportunity to further develop their expertise and skills. Postdocs play a crucial role in advancing scientific knowledge and driving innovation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Our successful Postdoc will join AstraZeneca’s Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolism (CVRM) department to study cellular uptake and functional effects of novel small molecule-oligonucleotide conjugates with the goal of developing a new oligonucleotide therapeutics delivery platform.
The impacts of cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (CVRM) diseases on people, society, and our planet are immense and growing, yet they remain underdiagnosed, undertreated, and their interconnections under-recognized. These conditions affect hundreds of millions of people around the world; we estimate that one in three people with a CVRM disease are living with two or more of these chronic diseases.
Our ambition is to enhance care to improve outcomes for the millions of people who are living with the complexities of CVRM diseases, to intervene early to protect vital organs, slow or stop disease progression, and one day even cure these often debilitating, progressive, and life-threatening conditions.
Project Focus
As part of this project you will work closely with a large cross-disciplinary team to design, implement and analyze experiments in the area of target-mediated oligonucleotide delivery.
You will have excellent opportunities to collaborate with scientists from the Discovery Sciences and CVRM oligonucleotide therapeutics discovery and targeted delivery teams.
You will also be part of an ongoing cross-disciplinary effort that is working on elucidating the details of the molecular mechanisms behind this novel delivery methodology.
Supported by Gavin O’Mahony (Senior Principal Scientist, Early CVRM Medicinal Chemistry), and Stefan Geschwindner (Director, Discovery Sciences) at AstraZeneca, you'll also receive academic mentorship and guidance from Dr Bernard Kelly (Principal Research Associate, in the lab of Prof David Owen, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research).
What You’ll Do
Our Postdoctoral Fellow will craft, plan, and analyze in vitro experimental studies on novel small molecule-siRNA conjugates to achieve the delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics to a range of cell types.
You will study cellular uptake and subsequent gene knockdown using in vitro techniques such as cell cultivation, flow cytometry, qPCR, ternary complex formation assays, microscopy studies, and eventually in vivo PoC experiments in preclinical animal models (in collaboration with in vivo bioscientists). Beyond the functional responses of the oligonucleotide conjugates, you will also study aspects of the molecular mode of action of this novel delivery mechanism.
Your experimental results will be used in an iterative process to drive the design and analysis of new, more effective oligonucleotide conjugates. To achieve this, you will collaborate with AstraZeneca scientists (medicinal chemists, cell biologists, biophysicists) and postdocs from several fields within and across our global community. You will also work very closely with drug discovery scientists working on an active clinical drug project.
You will have a high level of control and influence over the project, and ample opportunities to learn new technical and leadership skills.
Essential Requirements
A PhD or equivalent in cell biology, chemical biology, biochemistry, pharmacology or a related field
A background in the application of biochemical and cellular assays and technologies to study oligonucleotide therapeutics, gene knockdown, tissue targeting, endocytosis or related areas
Extensive knowledge of interrogating cell biology, ranging from mechanistic analysis of cellular processes to the development, function, and dynamics of complex biological systems
Ability to work within and across a diverse cross-disciplinary team (includes cell biologists, biophysicists, medicinal chemists and other postdoctoral researchers) but able to plan and problem-solve independently
Consistent track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals
Our Postdoc programme is aimed at individuals who are either:
Within 5-years of obtaining their doctoral degree (PhD, DVM, or MD) - PhD already awarded, or
Students, soon to obtain doctoral degrees (the PhD must be awarded within 6 months of joining AstraZeneca)
Desirable Requirements
Experience with measurement of gene expression (qPCR), flow cytometry, high content imaging or biophysical technologies (SPR). These are not prerequisites; training in these techniques will be provided if necessary.
Awareness of recent developments in the fields of chemical biology in general and tissue-targeted delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics in particular.
Reasons to Apply
Oligonucleotides (e.g., siRNA and antisense oligonucleotides) offer a promising way of delivering therapeutics for targets that are not druggable with traditional small molecules. However, RNA-based therapeutics are often hampered by limited delivery of the oligonucleotide to the cell type of interest. We have used small molecule-siRNA conjugates to hijack a novel plasma protein-tissue receptor pair to improve cellular delivery of RNA-based therapeutics and are seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to help develop this emerging methodology beyond initial proof-of-concept experiments into an RNA delivery platform that can be used to enable novel oligonucleotide-based drug projects. Publications in high-impact factor journals are also expected to be generated from this project.
Why AstraZeneca
The unique positioning of this postdoc within a pharmaceutical company such as AZ, means that you will be able to access large datasets which are not available in the public domain. Moreover, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that methods and techniques you develop will not only be published but will also be used within AZ after the postdoc position concludes, in real-life projects - and that ultimately the work you do will directly impact patients’ lives!
On-Site Working
The position is located at our research site in Gothenburg, Sweden.
As a key member of a research group and taking a leading role on a Postdoctoral project, we expect regular attendance - a minimum of 3 days per week on the AstraZeneca campus. For laboratory-based scientists, this may be higher.
Given the unique positioning of our Postdoctoral researchers, you may have an additional opportunity to spend some time with an external academic mentor. In this instance, you may be required to spend some of your time working alongside them at their facility as driven by the research project.
Your flexibility to meet the needs of the research and the scope of the project is required and we also look to support you with flexibility in accordance with our standard work policies.
Next Steps
If your passion is science and you want to be part of a team that makes a bigger impact on patients’ lives, then there’s no better place to be.
This advert will be running from January 2nd 2025 and, we welcome your application as soon as possible, but ahead of the scheduled closing date of January 31st 2025. In the event, that we identify suitable candidates ahead of the scheduled closing date, we reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier than published.
Find Out More
Developing the next generation of drug delivery technologies
AZ’s Postdoc Programme
Relocate to Gothenburg
Life at AstraZeneca
This is what we’re made of
AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.
