Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Immunology

The Center for Excellence in Molecular Target Discovery (CENTD), a partnership between FAPESP, Glaxo-Smith Kline (GSK) and the Butantan Institute, has a postdoctoral position available at the Immunochemistry Laboratory of Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.

The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to work on a project on the identification / elucidation and validation of new targets / pathways involved in osteoarthritis, using poison toxin poisons as tools.

The Project

The inflammatory response involved in osteoarthritis will be studied in 3D culture models. This model allows reproduction of the microenvironment of the joints, since different cell types can be cocultivated, such as chondrocytes, osteocytes and fibroblasts. Immune cells can also be added to these models, allowing analysis of their role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. The cultures will be stimulated by toxins isolated from poisons of venomous animals, whose proinflammatory activities have been previously described, with the expression and production of molecules involved in the inflammation being evaluated.

After initial in vitro analysis, some toxins will be chosen to better elucidate the signaling pathways triggered in the different cell types present in the 3D culture. The study of signaling pathways will involve different strategies, such as the use of specific inhibitors and the intracellular labeling of signaling molecules, which will be analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry and confocal microscopy.

These studies will allow the identification of new signaling molecules involved in the inflammatory response and possibly new targets for the development of specific anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis. 

The Person 

As requirements, candidates must have a PhD in Immunology, at least three articles as first author in international journals, motivation to solve complex biological problems in the field of molecular target discovery, motivation to work productively in an interdisciplinary environment and fluency in English with good writing ability.

Proven experience in 3-D cultures and in immunological techniques, including multicolor flow cytometry, is required. Experience in molecular biology and bioinformatics is also desired.

This opportunity is open to candidates of all nationalities. The selected candidate will receive a FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship, in the amount of R $ 7,373.10 per month and a research contingency fund, equivalent to 15% of the annual value of the scholarship, and which should be spent on items directly related to the activities of search.

Those who need to move to the city where the research institution's headquarters are located may request the benefit of installation financial assistance, including:

• One (1) additional monthly fee to be paid together with the first month of the scholarship; 
• Transport costs, if there is displacement by distance more than 350km (see www.fapesp.br/270 ).

 

Interested candidates should submit their applications including: cover letter describing research accomplishments, curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendation. Please send the application to Denise V. Tambourgi at centd@butantan.gov.br  with a copy to denise.tambourgi@butantan.gov.br .