The Khammash Lab at ETH Zurich is seeking a motivated and skilled postdoctoral researcher to join our interdisciplinary team working at the interface of synthetic biology, control engineering, and immunoengineering. This position is part of our newly funded ERC Advanced Grant, which aims to develop genetically engineered feedback control circuits in human T cells to tackle challenging diseases. The successful candidate will work closely with a team of engineers and biologists to design, clone, and test synthetic circuits in primary human T cells, and help translate these circuits into functional cellular therapies.

Job description

Job responsibilities include engineering, transducing, and characterizing primary T cells with synthetic genetic circuits; optimizing and executing protocols for retroviral or lentiviral transduction, cell culture, and immune functional assays; supporting the development of in vivo models, such as adoptive T-cell transfer in mice, for preclinical testing of engineered circuits where relevant; collaborating closely with molecular biologists, computational modelers, and clinical and preclinical research partners; documenting results clearly and contributing to publications and presentations; and providing technical support and troubleshooting in T cell culture, molecular cloning, and viral production workflows.

Profile

• PhD in bioengineering or related area.
• Strong practical background in primary T-cell isolation, culture, transduction (retroviral/lentiviral), and flow cytometry.
• Hands-on experience with viral vector production (e.g., lentivirus, retrovirus) and/or non-viral gene delivery tools such as PiggyBac or Sleeping Beauty is highly desirable.
• Experience with murine models, especially adoptive cell therapy, is a strong asset but not mandatory.
• Experience with engineering allogeneic T cell products is a strong plus.
• Excellent laboratory and organizational skills; ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Good communication skills in English.

In addition to the technical skills, the candidate is expected to have social and leadership competencies needed for a positive work culture including acting responsibly, nurturing well-being, driving innovation, living inclusivity, building bridges, and enabling people.

Workplace

Klingelbergstrasse 48, 4056 Basel, Switzerland

We offer

• A stimulating, supportive, and international research environment at ETH Zurich.
• The opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the interface of control engineering, synthetic biology and medicine.
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and world-class collaborators.
• Your job with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society.
• We are actively committed to a sustainable and climate-neutral university (https://ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/sustainability/net-zero.html).
• You can expect numerous benefits (https://ethz.ch/staffnet/en/employment-and-work/employment/offers-and-benefits.html), such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ (https://asvz.ch/en/634-welcome-asvz), childcare (https://ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/working-teaching-and-research/working-environment/family/childcare.html) and attractive pension benefits (https://www.publica.ch/en/about-us/pension-plans/eth-domain-pension-plan)

> Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich (https://ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/working-teaching-and-research.html)

We value diversity

In line with our values (https://ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich.html), ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website (https://ethz.ch/staffnet/en/employment-and-work/working-environment/diversity.html) to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.

Curious? So are we.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• CV including publication record
• Brief statement of motivation
• Names and contact information for 3 references

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about the department can be found on our website (https://bsse.ethz.ch/). Questions regarding the position should be directed to Prof. Mustafa Khammash, email: mustafa.khammash@bsse.ethz.ch (no applications).

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.

About ETH Zürich

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.