Technician - Senior Research Technician in Patient-Derived Tumour Organoids for Drug Resistance ERC

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: July 26th, 2024

Join the Forefront of Cancer Research: Become a Research Technician / Senior Research Technician in Patient-Derived Tumour Organoids for Drug Resistance for Sottoriva Lab’s ERC Project DARC MATTER at Human Technopole.

About us

Human Technopole (HT) is an interdisciplinary life science research institute, created and supported by the Italian government, with the aim of pioneering innovative strategies to improve human health. Within HT, the Sottoriva Lab stands at the intersection of computational and experimental science, dedicated to unravelling the complexities of cancer genomics and evolution.

Our goal is to measure the evolutionary process in human cancers and model systems, predict the future course of the disease and uncover the mechanisms of drug resistance. By using a combination of spatial and longitudinal data from patients and patient-derived model systems, evolutionary theory, and advanced machine learning techniques, we ultimately aim to outpace cancer progression and dismantle its resistance to treatment.

Project Overview

Our lab has secured a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant to fund “DARC MATTER” (101125077) our project aimed at studying currently unknown dynamics and mechanisms of drug resistance in colorectal cancer. DARC MATTER will generate comprehensive longitudinal, single cell and multi-omics data of patient-derived organoid models under the evolutionary pressure of cancer drugs in different sequences, offering an unparalleled opportunity for measuring cancer biology.

Role and Responsibility

The Sottoriva Lab is looking for a highly motivated Research Technician / Senior Research Technician to play a key role in the DARC MATTER project. The selected candidate will generate the project’s data, leveraging their expertise to culture and manipulate patient-derived 3D organoids. The candidate will profile organoid lines using genomic techniques, including single-cell sequencing, and perform drug response measurements.

As an integral member of the project team, the Technician will drive the project forward with their experimental work, together with a computational researcher who is responsible for the data analysis part. Together they ensure the advancement of the project’s goals.

The candidate will also collaborate with other members of the Computational Biology Research Centre, including experienced wet lab and computational scientists.

HT benefits from accessibility to the HT National Facility for Genomics, providing state-of-the-art and innovative services ranging from high-throughput sequencing to multi-omics technologies.

The successful candidates will report directly to the Group Leader, Prof Andrea Sottoriva, who is also the Head of the Computational Biology Research Centre.

Key tasks and responsibilities

• Conducting experiments in cell biology, with strong emphasis on development, optimization and application of protocols for organoid cultures applied to human normal and tumour cells.

• Applying, generating, and optimizing protocols for human organoid cultures. We aim to stay at the forefront of science in the field.
• Maintaining organoid lines generated in the lab and ensuring that all primary human material is stored and processed according to the health and safety, and ethics committee guidance.
• Performing single cell profiling and genomic screening of organoid lines.

• Working in tandem with a computational researcher, who analyses the data, fostering a synergy that propels the project toward its ambitious goals.
• Working closely with an interdisciplinary team to formulate and validate hypotheses.
• Working with the HT National Facility for Genomics for sample profiling.
• Supporting genomic library preparation.
• Performing meticulous sample tracking, storing and QC.
• Generating reliable data for publication in the ERC project and recording all data and results in specified forms.
• Liaising with the Centre’s Lab Manager and other staff to ensure that they are regularly updated.

Job requirements

Essential requirements:

• A Bachelor degree in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, or in a related field of the life sciences is required.
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant laboratory experience in cell culture.
• Experience in tissue culture and patient-derived organoid models.
• Fluency in English – HT is an international research institute.

Preferred requirements:

• Experience in human tissue processing, in handling human blood material, in histology and immunohistochemistry.
• Experience in sample preparation and tracking, specifically human tissues.
• Advantageous: Experience with genomic techniques, transfection and knockdown experiments (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, siRNA, shRNA, antisense and similar technologies).
• Advantageous: Experience with handling large-scale project.

Organizational and social skills:

• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment and to work independently.
• Excellent organization and communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating by the ability to lead and gain the assistance and cooperation of others in a team endeavour.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Application Instructions

Please apply online by sending:

i) a CV

ii) a motivation letter in English

iii) names and contacts of 2 referees

For any inquiry about the call, please feel free to contact Prof Andrea Sottoriva at andrea.sottoriva@humantechnopole1.recruitee.com (this email address should not be used to send applications).

Why Human Technopole

HT seeks scientific excellence, we recruit the best scientific talents through international, open calls.

Our working environment is international, friendly and inclusive. Our scientists work together across disciplines on research topics of biomedical relevance, leveraging synergies between their diverse skillsets and methodological approaches.

We believe that highly diverse teams yield the best and most innovative results.

We engage in outward-facing scientific activities aimed at benefiting the national and international research community. Training is also at the heart of our activity, with initiatives and opportunities for our staff, including scientific courses, conferences and workshops.

Main benefits

• Welfare plans.
• Canteen service.
• Work-life balance provisions.
• Italian language training for foreigners.
• Parental leave up to 1 year and other support for new parents.
• Counseling.
• Flexible working hours.
• Remote working policy.
• Support for relocation.

Special consideration will be given to candidates who are part of the protected categories list, according to L. 68/99.

Number of positions offered: 1

Salary: up to 41K - tax benefits where applicable.

Contract offered: CCNL Chimico Farmaceutico, Fixed-term 5 years - employee level.

The position is based in Milan.