PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL JOB VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
University in Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, invites applications for a job vacancy:
1. Position: ASSISTANT - RESEARCHER (m/f)
PoE code: H019001
Required education (level and field): doctoral degree (PhD) from the field of natural sciences (pharmacy, chemistry, chemical technology, biochemistry).
The candidate must have valid academic title from University in Ljubljana, in the fields of Pharmaceutical chemistry or Chemistry or Biochemistry. In the case the candidate does not yet have a valid habilitation, he/she must submit, together with the application, evidence of compliance with the quantity and quality criteria habilitation.
2. Type of contract: temporary: from January 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024 (or alternatively at least one year), with 3 months’ probation period.
3. Number of job vacancies: 1
4. Status: full time
5. Other conditions for the position:
Knowledge of pharmaceutical chemistry, design, synthesis and identification of new compounds, work with databases, innovation, team work communication, organizational skills, active knowledge of English.
6. Job description:
Scientific-research work for the implementation of the project: J1-3030 - MTAvsAMR: new MultiTargeting Antibiotics against AntiMicrobial Resistance or the project J7-4635 – MitoCan – Preclinical development of new mitochondrial Kv1.3 inhibitors for the treatment of cancer; professional cooperation with the client and other researchers, preparation of written reports and studies on research and expertise.
Description of the project:
J1-3030 - MTAvsAMR: new MultiTargeting Antibiotics against AntiMicrobial Resistance
There is an urgent need for new therapies and new antibiotics to treat deadly infections caused by so-called ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) which are often resistant to available antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming an increasingly urgent public health threat in both clinical and community settings. One promising strategy to address this rapid evolution of resistance is the design of antimicrobial compounds that equipotently inhibit two bacterial targets. The rationale for this approach is that the development of resistance to multitargeting antibiotics (MTA) would require the simultaneous occurrence of multiple specific mutations at both targets, which is extremely rare.
In the MTAvsAMR (new MultiTargeting Antibiotics against AntiMicrobial Resistance) research project, we aim to develop a new structural class of MTA against two well-established molecular targets with innovative approaches to potent and safe multitargeting antibiotics with limited resistance. We will target the antibacterial activity of the new molecules against ESKAPE pathogens to address an unmet medical need, with a target product profile of methicillin-resistant (MRSA), vancomycin-intermediate (VISA) Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates.
To overcome the limitations of the current multitargeting antibiotics and to drive further development, we have established an interdisciplinary consortium to address fundamental questions related to the design of new antibacterial compounds with limited resistance, suitable PADMET properties, and lower susceptibility to efflux mechanisms.
Or
J7-4635 – MitoCan – Preclinical development of new mitochondrial Kv1.3 inhibitors for the treatment of cancer
Ion channels are now considered unconventional, promising oncological targets, whose expression is often altered in cancer cells and which are emerging as critical players in tumorigenesis. The idea of targeting Kv1.3 ion channels directly in mitochondria, whose function critically depends on ion fluxes and which are crucial for both cell survival and apoptosis, could change the therapeutic field of cancer research. Resistance to apoptosis is one of the key hallmarks of cancer cells and often arises as a mechanism to escape drug-induced toxicity. Kv1.3 is also important for immune cells, which are a central component of the tumour microenvironment, both at the primary site and–more importantly for metastasis–at the distant location of the metastatic tumour. Therefore, it is reasonable to postulate that ion channel-based therapies may be beneficial in preventing and eradicating metastasis and may be useful in cells that are resistant to classical chemotherapy.
MitoCan (Preclinical development of new Mitochondrial ion channel inhibitors for Cancer therapy) is an innovative project aimed at targeting cancer by utilizing mitochondrial Kv1.3 ion channels with proof of principle in in vivo model of cancer. MitoCan is based on two new patent applications (HETEROARYL BENZAMIDE POTASSIUM CHANNEL KV1.3 INHIBITORS and MITOCHONDRIOTROPIC BENZAMIDE POTASSIUM CHANNEL KV1.3 INHIBITORS) and newly developed results, which indicate that MitoCan selective and potent mitochondrial Kv1.3 inhibitors have a great potential for lead optimization and preclinical development. Mitocan joins international partners that are the discoverers and undisputed leaders in research of cancer and ion channels in cancer together with the most important Slovenian research institutes to make a breakthrough in the potential of ion channels for the treatment of cancer.
7. Application deadline: December 16, 2022
Written application with CV and evidence of eligibility should be sent by e–mail: ks@ffa.uni-lj.si. or regular mail to the address: Univerza Ljubljana, Fakulteta za farmacijo, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana.
Univerza Ljubljana promotes gender equality by employment and work.
Contact person:
Marjetka Kirin
Phone n.: +386 1 4769 505;
e-mail: marjetka.kirin@ffa.uni-lj.si
Objavljeno: 06. december 2022 | Fakulteta