The Institute

The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) is an international biomedical research institute of excellence, based in Barcelona, Spain, with more than 400 scientists from 44 countries. The CRG is composed by an interdisciplinary, motivated and creative scientific team which is supported both by a flexible and efficient administration and by high-end and innovative technologies.

In April 2021, the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) received the renewal of the 'HR Excellence in Research' (https://www.crg.eu/en/content/careers/hr-excellence-research) Award from the European Commission. This is a recognition of the Institute's commitment to developing an HR Strategy for Researchers, designed to bring the practices and procedures in line with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers ( https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/european-charter) and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter and Code) ( https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code).

Please, check out our Recruitment Policy:
https://www.crg.eu/sites/default/files/crg/crg_recruitment_policy.pdf

The role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated postdoc to join the Single Cell Epigenomics and Cancer Development lab to create a better understanding of early tumor formation. The candidate will work on understanding how the 3D genome organisation is altered in pre-malignant lymphoma cells, specifically focussing on the role of strong enhancer displacement in gene regulation. The techniques to be used in this context CRISPR/Cas9 based approaches (genomic editing and dCas9-based techniques), molecular biology techniques (cell culture, RNA/DNA purification, cloning) and epigenetic analyses in cell pools and/or at single-cell level (chIP-seq, ATAC-seq, chromatin conformation capture).


About the team/ lab/ department

Tumors originate from normal cells that acquire tumor-initiating genetic events, such as translocations and somatic mutations. These genetic hits turn normal cells into pre-malignant cells, but do not lead to immediate tumor formation. For that, secondary genetic events as well as epigenetic hits are required.

We aim to create a better understanding of how epigenetic tumor-associated changes arise in the context of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. To that end, we aim to study the occurrence of these changes in healthy individuals as well as in pre-malignant cells in vitro (to be created by CRISPR/Cas9 genomic editing) and in vivo using single-cell technologies. Moreover, we aim to define cell intrinsic mechanisms, such as enhancer activation and 3D chromatin interactions that influence the occurrence of the observed changes.

Further information can be found at: https://www.crg.eu/en/programmes-groups/beekman-lab.

Whom would we like to hire?
Professional experience

Must Have

Minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience in biomedical/biology related experimental work, including expertise in the following:

Genome-editing strategies in mammalian cells/cell lines (preferably in hematopoietic cells)

Complex cell transfection protocols and cloning

Epigenetic analyses (e.g. ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, chromatin conformation capture)


Desirable but not required/ Nice to have

Hands-on expertise in:

Single-cell screenings

Optimisation of single-cell protocols to combine multiple read outs

Generation of next-generation sequencing libraries in different experimental contexts

Microscopy, preferable live-cell imaging, both at the level of the wetlab and analysis


Education and training

You hold a PhD in life sciences (biology, biotechnology, biomedicine, biophysics or a related field)


Languages

Fluency in English

Technical skills

Hands-on experience in the following areas:

CRISPR/Cas9-based technologies

Library preparation

Mammalian cell culture, including transfection methods for cell line based and/or primary samples and cloning

Epigenetic analyses

Optimisation of complex protocols

NGS methods

Competences

Highly developed organization skills

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

Creativity allowing to design experiments and explore data from unexplored angles

Enthusiasm, motivation and dedication to explore new scientific avenues

Capability to work on different projects simultaneously as part of a team and/or independently

The Offer – Working Conditions

Contract duration: 3 years

Estimated annual gross salary: Salary is commensurate with qualifications and consistent with our pay scales

Target start date: Spring – Autumn 2024

We provide a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructures, and unique professional career development opportunities. To check out our training and development portfolio, please visit our website in the training section.

We provide a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructures, and unique professional career development opportunities. To check out our training and development portfolio, please visit our website in the training section.( https://www.crg.eu/en/content/training).

The CRG is committed to reconcile a work and family life of its employees and are offering extended vacation period and the possibility to benefit from flexible working hours.

Application Procedure

All applications must include:
A motivation letter addressed to Dr R. Beekman
A complete CV including contact details.
Contact details of two referees.


All applications must be addressed to Dr. R. Beekman and be submitted online on the CRG Career site - http://www.crg.eu/en/content/careers/job-opportunities

Selection Process

Pre-selection: The pre-selection process will be based on qualifications and expertise reflected on the candidates CVS. It will be merit-based.
Interview: Preselected candidates will be interviewed by the Hiring Manager of the position and a selection panel if required.
Offer Letter: Once the successful candidate is identified the People department will send a Job Offer, specifying the start day, salary, working conditions, among other important details.

Deadline: Please submit your application by 25/02/2024.

Suggestions: The CRG believes in ongoing improvement and promotes a culture of feedback. This is one of the reasons we have in place, at your disposal as a candidate, a mechanism to gather your suggestions/complaints concerning your candidate experience in our recruitment processes. Your feedback really matters to us in our aim at creating a positive candidate journey. You can make a difference and help us improve by letting us know your suggestions through the following form. https://recruitment.crg.eu/webforms/recruitment-contact-form-suggestionscomplaints


"This project has received funding from the ERCEA program ERC-2021-STG under grant agreement No 101039265"