We are looking for a research technician to support our group. One part of your work will be in a KiKa-funded project to test a new way to make mouse and human iPSC models with controllable expression of Wilms’ tumour genes with missense mutations. Your part in this project will be in the maintenance and targeting of the human iPSC cells, and differentiating them to kidney organoids. At the same time the TFL part of the group is making a mouse model with the same mutation, and if needed and time allows you might also be asked to help with analysing this mouse model  (but direct animal work would not be required for this).

The other part of your work will be the management of the mouse colony of the Hohenstein group. For the biggest part our mice are genotyped externally. This part of the work will mainly be processing of genotyping results in the animal database system, deciding which new matings need to be set up to make sure all our research projects have the animals they need when they are needed, and communicating with the animal caretakers in the PDC. In addition, new models we are making as TFL are genotyped internally using PCR, and this often requires troubleshooting and optimization of several PCR assays. You will also be closely involved in this.    

·         You have completed an HBO education in Biology and Medical Laboratory Research;

·         You have experience with working with iPSC cell culture and/or mouse colony management (experience in one of these is a ‘must’);

·         Preferably you have experience in working with general molecular biological techniques, such as DNA isolation, PCR, antibody staining’s etc;

·         You can work independently and you are confident to make decisions but will discuss issues in case of doubt;

·         Working with iPSC cells and potentially mice does not always stick to your planning and working hours, so improvisation skills and a flexible work attitude are important;

·         You are precise and organized in conducting experiments, and accurate with data processing

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

You will be employed on the basis of 36 hours per week. Appointment is for one year. Your salary is based on your education and experience and is a maximum of  € 3,896,- gross per month for a full time position (scale 7M in the Collective Labour Agreement for University Hospitals).

LUMC

At the Leiden University Medical Center, we continuously work on improving patient care. We invest in groundbreaking, international research and work with the latest equipment. Together with our team of doctors, medical specialists, teachers, academic researchers and supporting staff, we aim for the best quality in health care, education and international research. And we need you to realize our goals!

Department of Human Genetics

The Department of Human Genetics is a broadly oriented research department, led by Professor Silvère van der Maarel, with a focus on the (epi)genomic contribution to monogenic, multifactorial and acquired diseases, and the translation into clinical relevance. The department consists of 22 research units, embedded in four overarching research lines.

This research will be conducted in the Hohenstein group, which currently consists of one associate professor, one postdoc, two PhD students and 3 technicians. We also always have undergrad students doing internships in the group. A lot of our day-to-day communication is in English.

With this group we study all aspects of normal kidney development and how this is disturbed in Wilms’ tumours, and we are the Transgenic Facility Leiden making new genetically modified mouse models for other researchers.