The group of Prof. Wouter de Laat currently has a vacancy for a Technician to work on: development of novel methods for genetic diagnostics.

Description of the project:
The technician will participate in one of two projects that both aim to develop novel methodologies for genetic diagnostics. The first project relates to Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis. Aim of this project is to develop, in collaboration with biotech company Cergentis, the UMC Utrecht and various other Dutch academic medical centres an alternative method that enables offering pregnant couples carrying a severe genetic disease (cystic fibrosis, thalassemia, Duchenne, etc) a non-invasive bloodtest as an alternative to invasive amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Interested candidates may want to refer to Vermeulen et al., AJHG 2017, where we show proof of principle of the method. Here, we will further refine the method, ultimately to allow implementation in routine diagnostics. The second project is in collaboration with biotech company GenDx and aims to develop novel methods for HLA-typing. HLA-typing is crucial to find matched donor-recipient couples for organ and tissue transplantation. Both projects will be carried out in a team with and under supervision of a bioinformatician and a postdoc.

We are seeking a (preferably experienced) technician, trained in molecular biology and genetics, with interest in technology development and with excellent technical skills. The candidate should be curious and motivated to work in an ambitious and collaborative environment. The application should include a letter of motivation and a CV with two references.

Duration:
1 year with the possibility of an extension for one more year after positive evaluation. 

Salary:
According to “CAO-Nederlandse Universiteiten” (CAO-NU), depending on experience scale 7 excluding 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits.

Hubrecht Institute

The Hubrecht Institute is a research institute focusing on developmental and stem cell biology. It encompasses 24 research groups that perform fundamental and multidisciplinary research, both in healthy systems and disease models. The Hubrecht Institute is a research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)., located on the Utrecht Science Park ‘De Uithof’. Since 2008, the institute has been affiliated with the University Medical Center Utrecht, advancing the translation of research into clinical practice. The Hubrecht Institute has a partnership with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).