Postdoctoral Researcher (January 2025 start)

at  National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training NIBRT

VACANCY SUMMARY

This is an exciting, 24 month opportunity for an experienced Postdoctoral Researcher to work on, and influence, a research programme funded through a prestigious SFI Research Professorship award to Professor Mark Smales in the area of enhancing advanced biotherapeutic biological medicines design, manufacturing and activity at NIBRT. There is a growing portfolio of advanced biotherapies, including modalities such as gene therapies, cell therapies and RNA therapeutics as vaccines and therapeutics, for which the manufacturing processes are often low yielding and inefficient. The role will help lead and deliver a work programme to generate a fundamental, transformative and conceptual mechanistic shift in our understanding of the cell expression systems and processes used to produce these advanced biotherapeutics, and apply modern engineering biology approaches to deliver more efficient, predictable, and affordable manufacturing approaches. The postholder will be expected to (1) undertake the work and training programme outlined in the grant proposal ‘Enhancing Advanced Biotherapeutic Design, Manufacturing and Activity: Defining and Leveraging the Biological Rules that Underpin AAV Gene Therapy, IVTmRNA and Protein Biotherapeutic Modality Design and Production’ for PDR2, and (2) provide support and supervision of other members of Prof Smales team with him and when he is absent from NIBRT.

ROLE PURPOSE

In designing IVTmRNAs as vaccines and therapeutics we currently lack the understanding to fully optimise these with respect to (i) how exogenous and modified IVTmRNAs are delivered to, recognised by, and engage with the translational machinery, (ii) how they can be more efficiently translated or tuned in a cell specific manner, (iii) how sequence modifications impact their manufacturability, activity and stability, and (iv) ability to predict modes of action and antigenicity. It is known that key elements of mRNAs determine their half-life, localisation, how efficiently they associate with the translational machinery and the efficiency by which they are translated into protein products. In particular the role will focus on the chemical modification of nucleotides for incorporation into IVTmRNAs and support the start of incorporating these modified nucleotides into the synthesis of IVTmRNAs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The key responsibilities of the job include:

• To devise, undertake appropriate experiments, interpret the findings and devise new approaches to achieve the goals and milestones as described in the Research Professorship SFI funded grant programme “Enhancing Advanced Biotherapeutic Design, Manufacturing and Activity: Defining and Leveraging the Biological Rules that Underpin AAV Gene Therapy, IVTmRNA and Protein Biotherapeutic Modality Design and Production”, specifically those associated to the PDR3 position in WP2 around IVTmRNA design and manufacture.
• To undertake the mandatory training, reporting, public engagement/outreach activities and any other requirements outlined under the funding agreement for the project. This includes drafting of reports required by the funder in a timely manner and attending scientific review meetings.
• Be responsible for maintenance of laboratory records, health and safety records, and inventory around the project.
• To interact with other collaborators at NIBRT and externally, both within Ireland and internationally, coordinating activity across the consortium including the exchange of reagents and planning of joint experiments.
• Regularly report to the supervisors and consortium, compile data acquired in a form to allow rapid transformation of documented research results into high quality research papers and/or patent applications.
• Attend and present at training activities and research summits and meetings as outlined in the wider programme, including at national/international conferences relevant to the research.
• Provide training support and advice to graduate, postdoctoral scientists, technicians and other staff at NIBRT as out-lined by, and agreed with, the PI.
• Write up research findings for publication in leading peer-reviewed international journals.
• Be committed to your own personal career development, including continually updating knowledge and understanding in fields related to the research area.
• Other duties, commensurate with the grading of the job, as assigned from time to time.