Synthetic long peptide-based cancer vaccines are promising clinical candidates for the targeted treatment of cancer and viral disease. However, their handling and processing by the immune system is not well understood and therefore difficult to improve upon. Dr. Sander van Kasteren was recently awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant to unravel this process using chemical biology. He is therefore currently looking for a postdoctoral worker that can develop the immunological assays to develop the in vitro and in vivo kinetics of T-cell activation by relevant immune subsets. This research project is embedded within the research group ‘Bioorganic Synthesis’.

• PhD degree in Chemical Biology or equivalent;
• Good to excellent proficiency in English;
• Ability to work independently and as a team player in a multidisciplinary environment;
• Required experience: organic synthesis of small molecules and their characterization;
• Required experience with the synthesis of click chemistry reagents;
• Experience with Confocal, Super-resolution Microscopy, FACS and/or Electron Microscopy is beneficial.

We offer a full-time position for initially one year, with possible extension for three years after positive evaluation of the progress of the research. Salary range from € 2.709,- to € 4.274,- gross per month (pay scale 10 in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside The Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break.

Diversity
Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Leiden University

The Faculty of Science is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are committed to expand fundamental knowledge by curiosity and to look beyond the borders of their own discipline; their aim is to benefit science, and to make a contribution to addressing the major societal challenges of the future.

The research carried out at the faculty is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The research activities are organized in eight institutes. These institutes offer eight bachelor’s and twelve master’s programs. The faculty has grown strongly in recent years and now has more than 1,300 staff and almost 4,000 students. We are located at the heart of Leiden’s Bio Science Park, one of Europe’s biggest science parks, where university and business life come together. For more information, see the website.

The chemistry and life science research in the Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC) is organized around two major research areas: ‘Chemical Biology’ and ‘Energy & Sustainability’. The institute’s research themes illustrate the central position of chemistry between biology, medicine and physics. The various research topics carried out within these themes are ideal for executing interdisciplinary research.