ESR 8: PhD Candidate in Biomarkers of in vitro immune responses in legume allergy
ESR 8: PhD Candidate in Biomarkers of in vitro immune responses in legume allergy
Host Organisation: Luxembourg Institute of Health
Recruited education level: Academic, Master degree
Area/topic: Food Allergy, allergenicity models, prediction toolbox, novel foods
Position: PhD Candidate – MSCA fellow part of MSCA-DN project ALLPreT
Application deadline: 28 November 2022
Planned start date: April 2023
Do you want to contribute to the development of new tools for the prediction of allergenicity of novel foods and food proteins and enable the production of new and safe food for the future?
If you have knowledge within the area of allergy, immunology, biostatistics, and/or protein-chemistry as well as have experience working with in silico, in vitro or in vivo models and are looking for a PhD fellowship opportunity to put your skills into practice, you have it right here.
As part of the ALLPreT project and as our new colleague in Luxembourg Institute of Health, you will be part of dynamic and highly ambitious research and innovation environments with many national and international collaborators from both academia and industries.
Project description:
The objectives of this PhD project (ESR 8) contribute to the overarching targets of ALLPreT by advancing the allergenicity toolbox through the discovery of new immune biomarkers. Analysing the effect of allergenic/non-allergenic proteins on the ex-vivo response, measured on immune cells from allergic patients and controls, will foster the discovery of new biomarker predictive of clinical reactivity. A reference set of legume proteins and peptide will be used to perform those stimulations with human blood. High-dimensional single cell analyses, followed by machine learning approaches, will allow dissecting the acute immune response in legume allergy.
Responsibilities and tasks
For this project, we seek a highly motivated biomedical scientist/immunologist or equivalent background to work on a translational and transdisciplinary project involving deep immune analyses using cutting-edge technology. Analytical methods will include multiplex analyses of the humoral response and other soluble immune proteins, immune cell analyses through flow and mass cytometry as well as big data handling using machine-learning tools.
Qualifications
We are looking for a team player with the motivation and drive needed for making a difference that matters. You should have a critical mindset, be curious and eager to learn. As you will join international teams, a good command of written and spoken English is necessary.
Your CV comprises a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in biomedical sciences, immunology or a related field); as well as:
- Preferably experience with cell culture, immunoassays or flow cytometry
- Independent and self-motivated person with strong team spirit and collaborative capacity, willing to assist colleagues in their research
According to the rules for MSCA doctoral networks, applicants should not have resided or worked in Luxembourg for more than 12 out of the last 36 months.
We offer
- A position part of an innovative and international EU funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral-Network (project ALLPreT - No 101072377)
- The position is for a period of 3 years. The goal is to complete the project with a PhD degree (Affiliation to University of Luxembourg).
- you will take part in all training, networking, and collaborative tasks offered by the ALLPreT project, which include developing technical and soft skills (organisation of meetings, grant writing, presentation for different audiences, etc.)
- Training in translational, immune and big data research, including transferrable skills through the exchange with partners and the educational framework available at LIH.
- External stays, including two secondments (for a total period of 4 months) are a mandatory part of your new PhD fellowship position, where the company MADX, Vienna, Austria to learn multiplex IgE-test on common allergens/legume panel with patient sera and experience working in a scientific commercial setting. And in Vitro Life Science Laboratories, and Host Paris Lodron University, Salzbourg, Austria to learn endolysosomal digestion, will be the hosting institutes.
Terms of Employment: 3-year fixed-term contract, full time position (40h/week). Your gross salary will be in line with the collective labour agreement of the LIH, which will approximately be a gross monthly salary €3312, and the compensation package will comply with the MSCA-ITN programme regulations for early stage researchers. Check the Careers » Luxembourg Institute of Health (lih.lu) website for more information about working at the LIH.
Information on the host organization/department:
LIH is a public biomedical research institute. The Department of Infection and Immunity (DII) is one of the three main research departments. As a research entity oriented to clinical and translational research, the major focus of DII are deregulated immune system functions, both
related to infectious or inflammatory pathologies. For more information go to: Department of Infection and Immunity » Luxembourg Institute of Health (lih.lu)
Application procedure uitklapper, klik om te openen
Candidates can apply for a position using the 'apply now' button
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 28 November, 2022.
Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please use the apply now button, fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:
- A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
- Curriculum vitae
You may apply before obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.
Please note, candidates can apply to max two ESR positions.
Information on the ALLPreT project
Introducing novel foods, such as insects, will strongly contribute to the security and stainability of our food supply. However, these novel foods must be safe (EU regulation 2015/2283). Allergenicity assessment is an essential part of the safety assessment of novel foods. Unfortunately, current methods to assess de novo allergenicity lack predictive power and are not validated. Consequently, food producers and risk assessors struggle with allergenicity assessment, slowing the introduction of novel foods into our food supply. Enabling the safe introduction of novel foods while protecting humans from unacceptable food allergy risks calls for a multidisciplinary approach. The ALLPreT consortium is a highly multidisciplinary group of experts from universities, research institutes, hospitals, patient organisations, and industry arising from the EU COST Action ImpARAS (Improved Allergenicity Risk Assessment Strategy). This puts them in an ideal position to consolidate their previous collaboration and establish an innovative doctoral training network in this area. The overall goal of ALLPreT is to train the next generation of scientists who can tackle the shortcomings in the current food allergy assessment of novel food products. ALLPreT will train 10 PhD students in the core aspects of food allergy risk assessment, immunology, protein chemistry, bioinformatics, in vitro/in vivo/in silico model development and complementary “soft” skills to deliver well-educated young scientists, with a unique position within the EU labour market. The PhD students will explore the new field of research on de novo sensitisation by novel foods and develop a toolbox of in vitro/in vivo/in silico allergenicity prediction tools that are scientifically sound, validated, and easily usable by industry and food safety authorities. This toolbox will contribute to fast and accurate safety assessment, thereby speeding up safety approval and market uptake of novel foods. Read more at www.AllPreT.eu