Polymeric Lipids-PEG Replacements & Polymeric Ionizable Lipids

Applications are invited for a 36-month position of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Candidate (DC) in the areas of synthetic organic chemistry and polymer chemistry. The successful applicant will join the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (DN) NATPRIME: Effective Delivery of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics via Designed Nanocarriers, working under the supervision of Prof. Remzi Becer.

NATPRIME is an exciting and interdisciplinary project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement number 101168881. NATPRIME will train the next generation of scientists in the area of gene delivery. In total, there will be 20 Doctoral Candidates in the NATPRIME DN programme and these DCs will be trained on the design, synthesis, and characterization of such complex (macro)molecular building blocks, their subsequent formulation, as well as their utilization in gene delivery applications. A detailed training programme and further information on the consortium are provided on the http://www.natprime.org webpage.

This DC position is offered in conjunction with a PhD studentship at the University of Warwick, subject to the applicant satisfying the admissions requirements of the university. The successful applicant will be required to enrol to undertake a PhD degree under the supervision of Prof. Remzi Becer. 

We are looking for ambitious, curious, creative, energetic young bright minds to take part in the research and training activities in this project. You will be trained by an excellent team of academics who are World leading experts in their fields. DC16, who will be appointed on this project will develop novel polymeric structures that can replace PEG in nanoparticle formulations. Excellent organic chemistry knowledge is required in order to carry out the project successfully. The candidate will also go for secondment to Croda Pharma (Denmark) and Max-Planck Institute in Munich for collaborations.

Essential criteria includes: 2.1 UK equivalent undergraduate degree and ideally Master’s degree in Chemistry. At the time of recruitment, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the appointment date. Specific skills which would enhance a candidate’s application include experience in some of the following areas: biomaterials, biophysics. Excellent written and oral communication skills are also desired. For candidates who do not speak English as their first language, IELTS or equivalent English language test scores of at least 6.5 is required. Applicants who do not hold a valid English certificate at the time of the application, must indicate a clear plan with dates of how they seek to obtain the certificate. The applicant must, at the time of recruitment, have not yet been awarded a doctorate degree and be in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of his/her research career.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

How to apply:

Please direct informal enquiries and requests for further information to Prof Remzi Becer

Further information on the NATPRIME network can be found on www.natprime.org  

Details on the formal application procedure can be found at http://www.go.warwick.ac.uk/pgapply