Assistant Professor of Translational Phage Isolation and Application at Globe Institute

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

We are seeking a highly motivated and dynamic individual to join our team as an Assistant Professor in the field of phage therapy and translational applications. This is a 2-year position, set to commence 1 April 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The successful candidate will be an integral part of the “Phage Therapy to Treat Group A Streptococcus in Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection” project within the Computational Phage Biodiscovery Group at the Globe Institute. The primary goal of this project is to develop pioneering targeted phage therapies to combat the aggressive Group A Streptococcus, which is responsible for necrotizing soft tissue infections. Our focus will be on identifying and tailoring prototype phage therapies specifically targeting Strep A.

Information on the department can be found at https://globe.ku.dk .

Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following competencies and experience:

Essential experience and skills:

• You have a PhD in Microbial Biotechnology or Marine Microbiology with special focus on bacteriophages and bacteria-phage interactions.
• You are highly experienced in phage isolation and characterisation from challenging environments and working with bacterium-phage laboratory models.
• You are experienced in phage genome sequencing with specific focus on DNA extraction and genome analysis.
• You have an active interest in translational medicine, phage therapy and development of diagnostic tools, procedures, and policies to improve health.
• You have pre- and postgraduate teaching experience within phage biology, bacteria-phage interactions, and phage biotechnology.
• You have a strong background in formulating products against bacterial diseases.
• Proficient communication skills and ability to work in teams.
• Excellent English skills written and spoken.

Desirable experience and skills:

• Experience in genetic manipulation of non-model bacteria.
• Knowledge in phage engineering and phage rebooting.
• Experience in working with temperate phages and mobile genetic elements.
• Experience in development of customise vaccine or phage against specific diseases.
• Knowledge in development of phage therapy products

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, the Globe Institute, Øster Farimagsgade 5 , 1350 Copenhagen K.

About Globe Institute
The Globe Institute is part of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. The Institute’s main purpose is to address basic scientific questions through interdisciplinary approaches. The institute operates at the intersection of natural and medical sciences and the humanities. Information on the institute can be found at: https://www.globe.ku.dk/ .

The Globe Institute is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment where employees and students can belong and thrive. See website for more information. All qualified applicants will receive full consideration. Candidates who, through their research, teaching, and/or service, contribute to diversity and competencies of our Institute are encouraged to apply. The University of Copenhagen strives to offer a family friendly and flexible working environment with a sustainable balance between work- and private life, including parental leave schemes (up to 47 weeks for both parents) and up to six weeks of paid holidays per year. Researchers that have not been tax liable in Denmark for the last 10 years can apply for a special (reduced) tax scheme. The university offers a variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 2 years. The starting date is 1 April 2024, or as soon as possible here after.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 36,410 DKK/approx. 4,880 EUR (October 2023 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions

For further information please contact Prof. Thomas Sicheritz-Pontén [email protected] .

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

Motivated letter of application (Max. one page)

CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do

List of publications

Teaching portfolio (If applicable)

Deadline for applications: Thursday 25 January 2024, 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Interviews are expected to be held in week 7 and 8. 

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.