PhD student B cell modulation by antibodies

Location Amsterdam Working week 36 hours
Education WO Closing date 10 May 2024
Function area Research / Laboratory Vacancy nr. 1078
About Sanquin

Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation combines medical, diagnostic, blood bank and research activities within one organisation. With 2,000 committed colleagues and 345,000 blood donors, we aim to provide a better life for 300,000 patients each year

The Division of Research and Lab Services of Sanquin is home to 250 researchers, including over 60 PhD students. Research at Sanquin is organized in four strategic themes: Anemia, Bleeding & Hemostasis, Immunity & Inflammation, and Immune Therapy. The joint mission of research at Sanquin is to discover novel methods and approaches using blood cells and blood products to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure disease in donors and patients. Research activities cover the full spectrum of early discoveries, development into novel products and services, donor studies, and clinical studies in patients

The mission of Sanquin is: “Together with the donor we ensure a better life for patients”. Sanquin is a knowledge-driven not-for-profit organization that supplies life-saving products and services, as well as blood transfusion medicine- and immunology- related research. The research is performed by a dedicated staff and it is focused around five medical needs: 1. Anemia, 2. Bleeding and Hemostasis, 3. Cancer, 4. Immune deficiency and Aging, 5. Vascular and Inflammatory diseases. Sanquin’s research portfolio is divided into strategic research (ranging from basic to applied and clinical research) and product- and process development

Function

Antibodies are versatile, modular proteins that display extreme structural variation. They are an essential part of our immune system and are also successfully explored and used as biotherapeutic agents. The wealth of structural variants calls for a wide range of innovative techniques to investigate and monitor the functional qualities of different types of antibodies as they emerge during immune responses and to study their role in various disease settings. In this project, we plan to functionally dissect the full array of B cell-associated antibody and complement receptors that can interact with immunoglobulins and immune complexes, including several novel unexplored receptors. This opens up possibilities for future development of engineered (therapeutic) antibodies with modified/enhanced receptor binding profiles to optimize intervention strategies

Research groups

Within the research groups Antibody Structure & Function and Immunoglobulin research, we investigate structural and functional properties of antibodies with the aim of understanding their role in immunological processes as well as their therapeutic application. The research is embedded in one of the four Medical Priorities at Sanquin Research, i.e., ‘Immunity & Inflammation’, which comprises ca. 50 people (postdocs, PhD-students, undergraduate students and technicians) that all work on related research topics

Requested

• Relevant masters degree, e.g. biomedical sciences
• Knowledge of antibodies and (human) immunology
• Experience with biochemical and immunological techniques
• Experience with recombinant mammalian protein expression and purification
• Ability to work independently as well as working in an interdisciplinary research team

Offer

• A challenging translational project in a multi-disciplinary and enthusiastic international team;
• A temporary appointment for a period of 4 years.
• Salary and conditions are conform CAO Sanquin;
• 8.33% end-of-year bonus; i.e. a thirteenth month in case of full-year employment;
• Partial reimbursement of travel costs;
• Pension plan with Pensioenfonds Zorg & Welzijn (PFZW);
• At fulltime employment (36 hours) 201 hours of leave per annum.

Further information:

For further information, please contact Dr. Theo Rispens, project leader (e-mail [email protected]) or Dr. Gestur Vidarsson, project leader (email [email protected])

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Acquisition is not appreciated. Sanquin does not accept unrequested help from agencies for this vacancy. CV's (in whatever shape or form) that are sent by agencies to any employee of Sanquin without a written assignment, will be considered property of HR Sanquin and Sanquin will therefore not owe compensation in any way..