[cid:image002.png@01D4BD50.9797D350]Marie SkƗodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Networks (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2017) “SECRETERS”
15 Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) positions for 3-year structured PhD projects are offered by a consortium of 11 participants in the Marie SkƗodowska-Curie Actions ITN project “SECRETERS”.
Project Description The SECRETERS project “A new generation of microbial expression hosts and tools for the production of biotherapeutics and high-value enzymes” is coordinated by the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). The project will involve extensive collaborations between 6 academic and 5 industrial participants, who are based in 6 European countries.
The ‘SECRETERS’ partnership aims to bring about a step change in the production of recombinant proteins, particularly Biotherapeutics and Industrial Enzymes. Both are critical products for the EU biotechnology sector, with combined markets in excess of $140 billion p.a.; the former are essential for the treatment of major diseases whereas the latter permeate every aspect of our daily life. Many proteins in these categories pose severe problems in production, especially disulphide-bonded proteins and new format 'difficult-to-express' proteins. SECRETERS will train a team of 15 ESRs to develop a new generation of super-producing microbial production hosts, including Escherichia coli, Bacillus species and the yeast Pichia pastoris. The project capitalises on a series of recent innovations and involves close collaboration between 6 academic Beneficiaries, who provide world-leading expertise in redox chemistry, synthetic biology and protein expression, and 5 non-academic Beneficiaries, who include some of the world's premier biotherapeutic and industrial enzyme companies. It will enable the biotherapeutics industry to produce challenging medicines at lower costs, resulting in new drugs and wider patient access, and allow the enzymes industry to deliver a range of powerful new products. Based on a responsible innovation approach, with clear foci on research and entrepreneurial training, SECRETERS will deliver a team of superbly-trained scientists, poised to engage in some of Europe's most important biotechnology sectors.
We offer SECRETERS offers a challenging PhD research training programme of 3 years, which is to be completed with a PhD thesis. All participating groups in SECRETERS have excellent infrastructure, are well-equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, are highly experienced in the training of PhD students, and promote equal gender opportunities. In addition to hands-on training in multidisciplinary and intersectoral research, we offer extensive transferable skills training through network-wide training events. Each ESR will undertake a 3-months intersectoral secondment with one of the recruiting organizations (see below), or our associated partners Biomin Holding Gmbh (AT), Polymun Scientific Immunbiologische Forschung GmbH (AT), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (AT) and Gedeon Richter plc (HU).
We invite Excellent applicants with degrees and/or expertise in biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology, microbiology, functional genomics, bioinformatics, systems biology, or computational biology are invited to apply by e-mail to preferred PhD supervisors as listed below. Proficiency in English is a strict requirement. Applications should include a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation, copies of relevant degrees (BSc/MSc) and, if applicable, a list of publications. Notably, at the date of recruitment, applicants must be in the first four years of their career and not have a doctoral degree. They can be a national of any country, but must not have resided in the country where the ProteinFactory research training activities take place for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date (and not have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in that country). Applications should be submitted as soon as possible, since different closing dates apply for different participating organizations. Eligible candidates are invited for an interview by Skype. Short-listed candidates will be invited for a recruitment symposium in May 2019 in Groningen, the Netherlands, for which travel costs and accommodation will be reimbursed.
Participants and contacts
Ø Prof. Jan Maarten van Dijl (j.m.van.dijl01@umcg.nlmailto:j.m.van.dijl01@umcg.nl); University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands. Contact through Dr. Sierd Bron (s.bron01@umcg.nlmailto:s.bron01@umcg.nl).
Ø Prof. Colin Robinson (c.robinson-504@kent.ac.ukmailto:c.robinson-504@kent.ac.uk); University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
Ø Dr. Tobias von der Haar (T.von-der-Haar@kent.ac.ukmailto:T.von-der-Haar@kent.ac.uk); University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
Ø Prof. Lloyd Ruddock (lloyd.ruddock@oulu.fimailto:lloyd.ruddock@oulu.fi); University of Oulu, Finland.
Ø Prof. Dörte Becher (dbecher@uni-greifswald.demailto:dbecher@uni-greifswald.de); Universität Greifswald, Germany.
Ø Prof. Uwe Völker (voelker@uni-greifswald.demailto:voelker@uni-greifswald.de); Universitäts-medizin Greifswald, Germany.
Ø Prof. Edda Klipp (edda.klipp@rz.hu-berlin.demailto:edda.klipp@rz.hu-berlin.de); Humboldt Universität, Berlin, Germany.
Ø Prof. Brigitte Gasser (brigitte.gasser@boku.ac.atmailto:brigitte.gasser@boku.ac.at); Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria.
Ø Christoph Kiziak (christoph.kiziak@lonza.commailto:christoph.kiziak@lonza.com); Lonza AG, Switzerland.
Ø Dr. Ruth Schwerdtfeger (ruth.schwerdtfeger@abenzymes.commailto:ruth.schwerdtfeger@abenzymes.com); AB Enzymes GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.
Ø Dr. David Humphreys (david.humphreys@ucb.commailto:david.humphreys@ucb.com); UCB-Celltech, Slough, UK.
Ø Dr. Stefan Krahulec (stefan.krahulec@boehringer-ingelheim.commailto:stefan.krahulec@boehringer-ingelheim.com); Boehringer Ingelheim, Austria.
