PhD position (Early Stage Researcher) in Cutting-Edge Leukemia Research

MIMETAS is looking for a full-time Early Stage Researcher (ESR) to join our Model Development team in Leiden, the Netherlands. You will be responsible for the development of organ-on-a-chip-based tissue- and disease models. You will operate within a team of scientists and regularly report to internal and external stakeholders.  

About MIMETAS  

MIMETAS is a rapidly growing company that specializes in human disease modelling using organ-on-a-chip technology. We are on a mission to pioneer the first generation of medicines grounded entirely in human data, using our unique disease modelling platform that is human, comprehensive, and scalable. Our disease models are designed to discover new therapeutic approaches and bring more drugs to patients by reducing attrition, while lowering development costs. MIMETAS has an open culture, where achievements go hand in hand with a fun place to work. Our close-knit team stays successful by maintaining a good atmosphere while working in a highly competitive field. MIMETAS’ headquarters are based in Leiden, The Netherlands and our manufacturing facility is based in Enschede, The Netherlands. We have subsidiaries in Gaithersburg, MD, USA, and Tokyo, Japan.  

About MIRACLE

MIRACLE is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral network aiming to educate a new generation of researchers optimally equipped to advance and accelerate development of novel therapeutics directed to leukemia MRD, and to progress effective treatments to the clinic. MIRACLE will elucidate the leukemia MRD landscape by integrating the knowledge on mechanisms driving persistence of MRD from different angles, and by the subsequent design of efficient and less toxic, novel targeted combination therapy with increased capacity to induce deep responses in patients.

The largest challenge associated with leukemia treatment is persistence of residual therapy-resistant cancer cells, called minimal residual disease (MRD), which underlies disease relapse and is responsible for the low survival rates of patients. Currently, knowledge on mechanisms of persistence of MRD and initiation of leukemia relapse is lacking, making development of therapeutics eradicating MRD difficult and hampering improvement of patient cure rates. The MIRACLE network will take an integrated, multidisciplinary and intersectoral approach to address the key unresolved questions on the molecular and cellular basis of acute leukemia MRD.

MIRACLE is an international, multidisciplinary and multisectoral training program consisting of 23 academic and non-academic partners from 8 EU countries (The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, United Kingdom). MIRACLE  aims to train 10 doctoral candidates to become the next generation of entrepreneurial researchers with leading positions in academia and industry. The researchers will be trained to obtain a unique combination of skills in innovative high-tech technologies, advanced data analysis tools and artificial intelligence, organ-on-chip MRD models, and drug and immunotherapy testing, and will come up with innovative ideas to advance future leukemia treatment by integration of several disciplines and data sources. The MIRACLE joint programme will consist of an individual research project and a comprehensive training program including international mobility and intersectoral secondments. 

DC3: The establishment of clinical translational AML MRD on-chip models

This project aims to develop ex vivo immunocompetent bone marrow (BM)- acute leukemia MRD 3D models, that mimic AML MRD in the patient and that will enable the discovery of novel therapies targeting AML MRD, while also allowing for the identification of treatment-responsive patient subsets.

The researcher will make use of the by MIMETAS-developed microfluidic 3D tissue culture plate called the OrganoPlate, which is a unique patented technology that enables precise, barrier-free definition of culture matrices and cells in 3D, supporting cell-cell interactions and unprecedented imaging and quantification.

The researcher will reconstitute the acute leukemia BM on the Organoplate by addition of patient-derived AML cells combined with other relevant cellular BM niche components, immune cells and the cellular matrix. Then, the reconstituted leukemia BM will be applied in drug response studies. Results on development, progression, phenotype and kinetics of AML MRD in this 3D model will be compared with data obtained using ex vivo culturing methods, PDX leukemia mouse models and the patient. Hits and relevant genes/pathways identified within the network will be validated in the developed 3D MRD models for efficiency to eradicate AML MRD by CRISPR-Cas9 gene targeting and by targeting with compounds and immunotherapy.

The researcher will have secondments at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet to learn how to validate a hit by CRISPR-Cas9 (3 months, Germany, supervisor Jan Henning Klusmann), and at the Amsterdam UMC (2 months, Netherlands, supervisor Jacqueline Cloos) to investigate the clinical relevance of the developed 3D MRD models.

Your tasks will include 

• Plan and execute experiments independently;
• Report on a regular basis to internal stakeholders;
• Disseminate your research in peer-reviewed journal
• Write standard operating procedures;
• Contribute to general lab duties.

Your profile 

• You have a master’s degree in biology, pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical sciences, bio-engineering, or a related field; 
• You want to work in the lab in multi-disciplinary teams to tackle tough tissue modeling problems
• Experience in high-quality tissue culture, (confocal) microscopy, and image analysis software is an asset.
• Your work is of high quality, you work accurately and safely;  
• You are a motivated, flexible, and positive team player; 
• You have excellent communication skills in English. 
• You have a passion to support new therapy discovery and development, and have an affinity to work in an international, fast-growing high-tech environment at the edge of industry and academia

Additional Doctoral Network Requirements

• You must not already be in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment
• You must not have resided in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date, and not have carried out your main activity – work, studies, etc. – in the Netherlands.
• You should be able to start not later than May 1^st, 2025
• You should be eligible to work in the European Union

We offer 

• A challenging, full-time position; 
• Challenging research projects on breakthrough science; 
• Ample opportunities for personal development and growth; 
• Dissemination of your research at the international stage; 
• A competitive salary with benefits, such as a pension plan, all in line with EU guidelines,
• A fun team with colleagues from all over the world who love what they do; 
• Friday afternoon drinks as part of an extensive program of social activities. 

Applications 

Interested in this position? Please apply via https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/306009.

Applications sent via email will not be reviewed or considered. Please follow the official application procedure to ensure your application is properly evaluated. We do not appreciate recruiter solicitations in response to this vacancy.