We are happy to announce the availability of an Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position of EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions. The position is funded by the HeatNMof H2020 project, coordinated by Patricia Horcajada (IMDEA Energy Institute, Spain), an EU Innovative Training Network aiming to develop smart multifunctional drug nanocarriers based on versatile porous biocompatible nanometric Metal Organic Frameworks, associated with exceptional drug payloads and controlled releases, and photo- and/or magnetic inorganic nanoparticles, providing both a specific control of reactions inside living entities and additional properties such as imaging and/ or hyperthermia therapy. The successful development of this project, involving academic and industrial partners, will contribute not only to improve the highly societal relevant cancer therapy but also to train the next generation of materials scientists in a highly interdisciplinary and intersectoral research environment.
The HeatNMof consortium includes the following 9 European institutions as Beneficiaries (2 industrial companies, 3 research centers and 4 academics): IMDEA Energy Institute, Spain; Universidad Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France; University of Antwerp, Belgium; Immaterial Labs LTD, United Kingdom; Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse, France; University of Hamburg, Germany; Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy; ISERN Patentes y Marcas M SL, Spain.
Research objectives:
Myriad of organic, inorganic and composites nanomedicines have been developed for anticancer drug delivery applications to improve the bioavailability and reduce the side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Among these nanomedicines, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) hold a great promise due to their large tunable porosity and structural flexibility. These properties allow the design of MOFs with high drug loading capacity and biocompatibility. However, it is still challenging to reduce their off-target drug release and accumulation.
A first aim of this PhD project will be to develop a setup to allow their 3D magnetic focusing into the targeted tumor tissues. The setup will be elaborated taking account magnetic simulations to obtain optimal magnetic field profiles, then validated by biological studies on ex vivo 2D and 3D cell cultures and in vivo experiments on mouse models developing tumors. The uptake of various magnetic materials (magnetic nanoparticles, magnetic MOFs…) will be first analyzed in vitro by different approaches including 2D and 3D cell culture, fluorescence microscopy and cytometry, and secondly validated on murine models developing tumors. The spatiotemporal control over the accumulation of the magnetic nanomedicine including magnetic nanocomposites drug delivery systems could boost their anticancer applications and help towards clinical translation.
A second objective of the project will be to test and develop magnetic setups aiming to perform drug delivery under a confocal microscope. Two setups will be tested: one generating a high frequency alternating magnetic field, and the other one generating a slowly rotating magnetic field. Experiments will be realized on samples synthesized by partners of the consortium.
Eligibility criteriaApplicants must satisfy the eligibility requirements for an ESR under the Horizon 2020 ITN Program at the date of recruitment; in particular, they should be eligible to be appointed as an ESR by satisfying the following criteria:
How to apply
Interested applicants should send an e-mail before the 23th October 2022 at 3:00 PM CET to the contact person (see below) quoting “HeatNMof ESR10 recruitment 2022” in the subject of the e-mail. Applications should enclose the following documents:
(a) your Europass CV
(b) a personal motivation letter describing in detail the reasons behind your professional choice to join our doctoral training program (400 words)
(c) copies of academic certificates and transcripts, including (if finished) a copy of your MSc thesis
(d) a brief research proposal addressing the topic of the research project (500-1000 words)
(e) Proof of language proficiency: Language certificate, university studies in the relevant language, research stay, etc.
(f) Optional: Supporting letters
Expected starting date: November 2022
Contacts: [email protected] and [email protected]
Additional commentsStatus and duration of the contract.
For reasons which will not be developed here, the position is funded for 21 months. This is in principle not enough to conduct a PhD. The contract might be extended to 36 months depending on the acceptance of additional funding requests. For a student who is highly motivated to get a PhD, an inscription in PhD can be done at the beginning of the contract at the National Institute for Applied Sciences of Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), but with a risk not to achieve it (a PhD lasts three years in France) if not additional funding is found in meantime.
A student, aiming at conducting at obtaining an experience in research but without aiming at obtaining a PhD, will be enrolled with a research engineering contract.
Offer Requirements Specific RequirementsThe research will be at the interface between physics and biology, and skills from both disciplines will be acquired during the project. As a consequence, the ideal candidate is a student with MSc degree (or equivalent) in physics, biophysics or cell biology, who will be highly motivated to get complementary skills in domains different from its initial formation. Previous experience in confocal microscopy, cell culture or magnetism is not mandatory but highly appreciated. Good communication skills in English (both written and spoken) are mandatory.
Contact Information