A postdoctoral position is available in the ‘Adaptive Immunology’ group headed by Professor Gregers Jungersen at the Section of Immunology and Vaccinology, at the Technical University of Denmark, Veterinary Institute, Frederiksberg. 

The ‘Adaptive Immunology’ group is currently consisting of 10 people, including postdocs, PhD students, technicians and undergraduate students. The overall aim of the research group is to use our immunological insight in the field of veterinary adaptive immunology to apply immunological correlates of protection in vaccine design, advance the understanding of human diseases by appropriate use of relevant large animal models, and use and develop novel technologies for detailed characterization of immune responses. 

Responsibilities and tasks
The main focus of the position is characterization of host responses in a porcine model for local and systemic infection with Staphylococcus aureus. Other tasks relate particularly to support in molecular biological analyses in other running projects, supervision of pre- and postgraduate students, and contributions to secure new funding through grant applications. The position is mainly funded by the SAIV-VAC research project where our task is to develop human-relevant porcine skin and osteomyelitis models of Staph. aureus infection to characterize the protective efficacy of a recently developed vaccine. Partners in the SAIV-Vac project are DTU Veterinary, Evaxion Biotech, Bavarian Nordic and Baylor College of Medicine with the aim to develop a vaccine against methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus (MRSA) infections in humans. The Staph-MVA vaccine antigens have previously been selected by Evaxion Biotech through artificial intelligence and validated in mice studies. In the vaccine construct the antigens are integrated in the Bavarian Nordic MVA vector. At DTU Veterinary the Staph-MVA vaccine will be tested in translational pig models of skin and osteomyelitis S. aureus infections. 

It is expected the post doc has previously acquired experience in molecular biological techniques to supervise qPCR analyses of host responses in the infection model. This experience will also be used to support and advance molecular biological analyses in other projects within the research group. 

Research tasks include: 

• Design, validation and interpretation of molecular biological analyses of porcine host responses, e.g. by multiplexed gene expression analyses with our in-house Fluidigm Biomark HD or by Next Generation Sequencing
• Generation and use transfected cell-lines for validation of monoclonal antibody reactivity
• SLA typing of pigs for selection of appropriate experimental animals matching our recombinant SLA class I molecules
• Quantify antigen-specific immune responses by flow cytometry, IFN-γ ELISPOT or cytotoxicity studies
• Publication in peer-reviewed journals   

Qualifications
Mandatory requirements: 

• PhD degree in immunology or similar
• Expertise in molecular biology
• Familiar with bioinformatics
• High quality publication record
• International experience
• Strong work ethic and self-motivation to succeed within a competitive research field  

Desired requirements: 

• Experience in porcine Immunology
• Expertise in flow cytometry, ELISA, ELISPOT and other immunological techniques
• Experience in teaching and supervision of students 

Application procedure
To apply, please read the full job advertisement at www.career.dtu.dk. 

Application deadline: 20 August 2016. 

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