Our group is located at the Dept. of Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine at the Charité University Hospital (Humboldt University) Berlin, Germany.
Our lab focuses on fundamental aspects of host-pathogen interactions and particularly on risk-assessment strategies of the immune system. The immune system carefully measures infectious threats on multiple levels in order to elicit appropriate responses (e.g. Sander et al., 2011), and we study the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern this important decision making process. We want to develop novel therapeutic strategies for infectious diseases and auto-inflammatory disorders by targeted manipulation of these immunological checkpoints.
The project
The current project is aimed at understanding basic immune responses to various bacterial pathogens by human and mouse monocyte subsets. The PhD student will dissect host and microbial signals that dictate the differentiation fate of specific monocyte populations and how this affects host defense and adaptive immunity.
The project will involve a number of (well-established) experimental techniques including
Isolation and culture of primary murine and human cells, flow cytometry, western blot, immunofluorescence microscopy, ELISA, RT qPCR, gene silencing, mouse models of pneumonia and adoptive cell transfers.
Requirements
Applicants should have a diploma or Master’s degree in Biology or related fields and preferably additional qualifications in cell biology and/or immunology.
A strong interest in immunology / innate immunity is required.
Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required, German is a bonus, but not required.
Existing EU residency or visa is preferred, but not required.
Scientific skill sets should include standard techniques like cell culture, qPCR, immunoblotting, flow cytometry, basic molecular biology (cloning and gene silencing), and mouse handling.
Most importantly, successful candidates are highly motivated and talented with good communication skills and a passion for scientific thinking and experimental work. Applicants should be curious and ambitious and have an interest in immunology and host-pathogen interaction.
What we offer
The Charité University Hospital is a world-renowned scientific and clinical institution, which offers state-of-the art research facilities and a multidisciplinary environment. The campus is located in the heart of Berlin in close proximity to other top-notch scientific institutions including the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, the Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, the Rober Koch Institute and many more.
We are a young ambitious group and offer excellent scientific training and mentorship, international collaborations and a team-oriented productive work environment.
PhD students will be paid according to German TV-L (Berlin, HU) E13, 50%.
How to apply
Please send applications including a detailed CV and reference letters to
Leif E. Sander, MD, PhD
leif-erik.sander@charite.de
for more information visit
http://www.charite.de/inflab/index.php?id=170&L=0