Opportunità di lavoro

The laboratory of Chromatin Biology & Epigenetics, headed by Prof. Alessio Zippo is looking for highly-motivated researchers interested in single-molecule biophysics.

The project

Mutations in chromatin regulators can lead to multiple pathological conditions which are commonly referred as chromatinopathies (CPs). The project for the post-doc activity is centered on determining the mechanisms and functional implications of mutations in chromatin regulators observed in CPs.
Chromatin is organized in biomolecular condensates that compartmentalized the genome function and control gene expression. The herein program aims to solve chromatin domains by super-resolution imaging to determine the contribution of 3D chromatin organization and nuclear architecture to the onset and progression of diseases. The successful candidate will combine super-resolution imaging and single-molecule dynamics technologies with quantitative data analysis and biophysical modeling. The post-doc will develop new single- molecule–based approaches to investigate the dynamic organization of chromatin domains in physiological and pathological settings. His/Her project will benefit from working within an interdisciplinary framework, favoring cross-contamination of ideas and research discussions.

The candidate

We are seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic candidates, willing to challenge an innovative project by adopting a pro-active attitude and an analytical approach. The candidate is requested to have experience in advanced imaging approaches including image processing and analysis, aiming to investigate 3D chromatin organization and compartmentalization. The successful candidate will be involved in an interdisciplinary project, with research being conducted at the crossroad between computational science, biophysics and molecular biology. Given the international framework, the candidate should also have good communication skills, and a team-oriented working attitude.

Qualifications:

• A high level of motivation and interest.
• PhD in Physics, Biophysics, Computer science, Biology, Biotechnology or in related fields
• Prior research experience in advanced fluorescence microscopy, single molecule biophysics, (including a track record of peer-reviewed publications) will be recommended
• Proficiency in scripting environments for statistics and image data analysis, and/or able to quickly acquire Bioinformatics computational skills
• Excellent communication skills and good team spirit with the ability to solve problems independently
• Knowledge in chromatin biology or molecular biology will be considered a relevant plus.

The environment

The lab of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics is interested in determining the contribution of epigenetic changes to stem cell function, both in physiological and pathological settings. In particular, we are investigating the contribution and the consequence of epigenetic perturbations to the maintenance of cell identity and tissue homeostasis. Within the international and vibrant context of the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO) in Trento, Italy. Postdoctoral researchers joining the lab will gain access to the advanced research training and career development program. CIBIO offers the possibility to work in a young, highly dynamic and stimulating research environment thanks to a streamlined organization, which can support researchers to readily adapt to new scientific challenges through cutting-edge research infrastructures. At CIBIO, research goals are pursued in the frame of an integrative view of basic biological processes and of their derangement in disease, whereby basic science co-exists with biomedical oriented translational approaches.

Qualified and interested candidates should submit their application including CV, a motivation letter describing how her/his background would best fit this position, and the contact information of at least two referees. The position will remain open until filled. For further information and application, please contact Prof. Alessio Zippo (alessio.zippo@unitn.it).

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Gennaro Ciliberto. Direttore Istituto Regina Elena di Roma e Presidente Federazione Italian scienze della Vita

Oggi è una giornata che rimarrà nella storia: si dà il via al piano vaccinale contro il Coronavirus nei 27 paesi dell’Unione Europea. Era giusto e necessario che una risposta politica unitaria, coordinata e tempestiva venisse data in risposta alla pandemia che ci ha devastato nel 2020. Ma dobbiamo sentirci doppiamente orgogliosi di sentirci europei in questo momento perché il vaccino che per primo sarà diffuso viene dalla ricerca europea.
E’ stato infatti concepito inizialmente da una società di Biotecnologie di Mainz in Germania che era stata fondata pochi anni fa per generare vaccini terapeutici ad RNA contro i tumori e che ha saputo riconvertire tecnologie e competenze sviluppate in precedenza per altri scopi, al fine di affrontare subito il problema del coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 e dare una risposta immediata.

L’avvio di un grande piano vaccinale in tutta Europa così come quello che è partito pochi giorni fa negli USA ed in Gran Bretagna rappresenta un successo per la ricerca scientifica che è riuscita in meno di un anno dallo scoppio della pandemia a dare risultati prima impensabili. Lo dobbiamo, diciamolo, alle scoperte della Biologia Molecolare e alle Nanotecnologie che hanno messo a disposizione le armi affilate negli ultimi decenni nei laboratori di tutto il mondo. Lo dobbiamo ai grandi investimenti finanziari che si sono attivati subito dopo lo scoppio della pandemia. Lo dobbiamo anche alla possibilità di stabilire alleanze tra gruppi di ricerca e anche alla pubblicazione dei risultati provenienti da rigorose sperimentazioni sia pre-cliniche che cliniche che sono stati copiosi, e resi in maniera open source e rapida da parte di tante riviste scientifiche nel corso del 2020. Lo dobbiamo anche all’impegno del nostro Governo, ai nostri operatori sanitari e agli Istituti di Ricerca del nostro paese, il cui simbolo è diventato quest’anno l’IRCCS Spallanzani di Roma.

Cosa ci aspettiamo nel prossimo futuro? Si legge che l’Italia si è già assicurata tramite negoziazioni centralizzate a livello europeo 38 milioni di dosi tra vaccino Pfizer/BioNTech, il primo ad essere stato approvato dalla Agenzia Europea EMA, e quello Moderna anch’esso ad RNA che dovrebbe essere approvato nei primi giorni del 2021. Complessivamente queste dovrebbero coprire circa 19 milioni di persone e dovrebbero essere somministrate nei primi mesi del 2021 prima agli operatori sanitari, poi agli anziani nelle RSA e poi man mano a fette più grandi della popolazione, privilegiando le persone più a rischio. Ma ovviamente queste dosi non bastano. Ne occorrono molte di più. Almeno altrettante per arrivare alla cosiddetta immunità di gregge, assolutamente necessaria per abbattere il numero di ricoverati e di morti ancora devastante, per riprendere una vita normale e far ripartire il nostro paese!

Per arrivare a questo obiettivo devono realizzarsi una serie di congiunture favorevoli. Le riassumo qui di seguito: a) aumento della capacità produttiva dei due vaccini di cui sopra; b) l’approvazione di altri vaccini in fase avanzata di sviluppo a condizione che questi presentino almeno lo stesso livello di efficacia e di sicurezza; c) la capacità organizzativa del nostro paese nella distribuzione e nella somministrazione che richiederà ingenti risorse di personale per il nostro sistema sanitario; d) la disponibilità dei cittadini a vaccinarsi. Vaccinarsi è una questione morale! Vaccinandoci non proteggiamo solo noi, ma anche persone più deboli di noi con cui possiamo venire a contatto.

Ma è anche opportuno che il nostro paese si attrezzi concretamente a mettere su un sistema per il monitoraggio epidemiologico dell’efficacia dei vaccini basato sia sulla misurazione della risposta immunitaria contro il bersaglio del vaccini, la famosa proteina Spike, nel tempo in campioni selezionati di soggetti vaccinati, così come l’esecuzione di tamponi molecolari per misurare se i vaccinati vadano incontro ad infezioni asintomatiche e per sequenziare tempestivamente eventuali varianti virali emergenti. Questo monitoraggio richiederà anch’esso un’opportuna pianificazione e grossi investimenti finanziari che devono essere considerati dal nostro Governo prioritari se si vuole davvero avere il polso della situazione e sconfiggere il virus.

Oggi è una giornata di speranza e l’inizio di una nuova epoca, ma dobbiamo essere consapevoli che, se vogliamo capitalizzare su quanto fatto finora, dobbiamo ancora impegnarci tanto.

Research Group Leaders in Computational Biology – Neurogenomics Research Centre

The Research Centre for Neurogenomics is seeking outstanding early career researchers to establish their independent groups in computational biology applied to brain disorders. They will be active researchers carrying out high-quality, internationally competitive research and contributors to the international scientific community. The HT Research Centre for Neurogenomics focuses on the dynamics of brain disorders, both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative, with a strong emphasis on human experimental models and straddling multiple scales of analysis from single cell resolution to organismal function. The Centre offers an outstanding research environment, including a transformative facility for reprogramming and brain organoids automation, state of the art Genomics and Light Microscopy infrastructures along with a HT-wide architecture of high performance computing (HPC) attuned to the needs of contemporary computational biology and data science. A strategic priority is represented by candidates with experience and an active research program in single-cell multiomics integration and multilayered analysis of datasets derived from large cohorts of brain disorders. Newly appointed Group Leaders will be offered a generous start-up package and core funding. The Research Group Leaders will be responsible for developing their independent research within the Centre, as well as contributing to the collegial development of the HT research programme.

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Research Group Leaders in Experimental Neurobiology – Neurogenomics Research Centre

The Research Centre for Neurogenomics is seeking outstanding early career researchers to establish their independent laboratories investigating neuropsychiatric and/or neurological conditions. They will be active researchers carrying out high-quality, internationally competitive research and contributors to the international scientific community. The Centre focuses on the dynamics of brain disorders, both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative, with a strong emphasis on human experimental models and straddling multiple scales of analysis from single cell resolution to organismal function. The Centre offers an outstanding research environment, including a transformative facility for cell reprogramming and brain organoid culture and analysis automation, leading edge Genomics, Light Microscopy and animal research infrastructures along with an HT-wide architecture of high performance computing (HPC) attuned to the needs of contemporary computational biology and data science. A strategic priority is represented by candidates spearheading patient-specific disease modelling , especially through brain organoids and at single-cell omic resolution. Newly appointed Group Leaders will be offered a generous start-up package and core funding. The Research Group Leaders will be responsible for developing their independent research within the Centre, as well as contributing to the collegial development of the HT research programme.

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Research Group Leaders for the Human Technopole Centre of Genomics – Functional Genomics Programme

We are seeking talented, preferably early career, researchers to establish their independent laboratory at the HT Centre for Functional Genomics. Exceptionally, we will also consider mid-career leading scientist that are considering to move to HT. The Research Group Leaders will be responsible for developing an independent scientific programme within the Centre, as well as contributing to the collegial development of the HT research programme. They will be active researchers carrying out high-quality, internationally competitive research and contributors to the international scientific community. The mission of Functional Genomics in the Centre will be to elucidate key questions including “how the genome is regulated in each cell, tissue and organ in health and disease”, “what are the molecules and networks that drive biological activity in cells, tissues, organs”, and “how to modify genome regulation and genome output in health and diseases”. In particular, we will identify and characterize functional and regulatory non-coding genomic element networks in different cells and tissues of the human body, with the goal to identify the grammar of the genome, which will ultimately provide deeper understanding of genome function and enable genomics medicine. In order to address these challenges, the Centre will develop original technologies to identify and functionally characterize regulatory elements, non-coding RNA (with focus on lncRNAs), the genome conformation and interactomes of biological molecules in living cells. These approaches will be broadly used to map the function and regulation of human genome in health and disease across human diversity.

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Research Group Leaders for the Human Technopole Centre of Genomics – Population and Medical Genomics Programme

We are seeking talented, preferably early career, researchers to establish their independent laboratory in Population and Medical Genomics within the Centre. Strong defining components of this research programme will be the reliance on genomic technologies for large-scale explorations of human traits and diseases, the deep functional characterisation through in vivo and in vitro experiments, and the use of computational and quantitative approaches for data analysis. Exceptionally, we will also consider mid-career leading scientist that are considering to move to HT. The Research Group Leaders will be responsible for developing an independent scientific programme within the Centre for Genomics, as well as contributing to the collegial development of the entire HT research programme.
We envisage a seamless interlinking with activities of the Centres of Functional Genomics, Neurogenomics and Computational Biology wherever relevant. The candidates will be active researchers carrying out high-quality, internationally competitive research and contributors to the international scientific community.
The mission of HT’s work in Population and Medical Genomics will be to advance understanding of genetic factors contributing to human health and diseases. Harnessing the depth of Italian population and its biomedical variability, we will seek to understand “what are the genetic factors underpinning variation in biomedical traits in the general population”, ”through which molecular and functional mechanisms do these genetic variants exert their effect”, “which of these genes and mechanisms point to potential new therapies”. Specifically, through new genomic initiatives we will generate exhaustive catalogues of genetic variation in health and selected disease collections, and characterise their function, thus informing the discovery of interventions tailored to the Italian population.
In order address these challenges, we will deploy scalable genomic technologies for large-scale explorations of human traits and diseases, in vivo and in vitro experiments for the deep functional characterisation of genetic variation, and computational and quantitative approaches for data analysis.

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E’ disponibile una borsa di studio post-dottorale biennale nel laboratorio diretto dal Dr. Oreste Segatto, che opera nell’unità di Oncogenomica e Epigenetica dell’Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena di Roma.

La candidatura ideale è quella di un giovane ricercatore/ricercatrice – in possesso almeno della Laurea Magistrale in discipline biologiche/biomediche/biotecnologiche e preferibilmente del Dottorato di Ricerca – interessato/a alle tematiche di oncologia molecolare e con dimostrata esperienza in biologia cellulare e molecolare. Il/la candidato/a sarà inserito in un progetto di ricerca attualmente finanziato da AIRC e incentrato sulla generazione di modelli murini geneticamente definiti di colangiocarcinoma intraepatico (vedi Cristinziano et al. in calce). Il nostro obiettivo di lungo termine è quello di utilizzare questi modelli cellulari ed animali come piattaforme pre-cliniche per lo sviluppo di nuovi approcci terapeutici al colangiocarcinoma intraepatico causato da oncoproteine di fusione FGFR2, utilizzando approcci integrati di biologia cellulare, genetica molecolare, genomica funzionale, biochimica cellulare e farmacologia.

Sono richieste forte motivazione per la ricerca biomedica, conoscenza della lingua inglese scritta e parlata, capacità di lavorare in gruppo.

La borsa di studio sarà disponibile a partire da Novembre-Dicembre 2020. Per ulteriori informazioni contattare Oreste Segatto (oreste.segatto@ifo.gov.it).

Post-doctoral researcher
Muscular dystrophy therapy

A post-doctoral position is open in the Gabellini laboratory at OSR to test a novel therapeutic approach for FSHD muscular dystrophy. The project is funded by the Italian Ministry of Health and will integrate the use of AAV, for the transfer of a therapeutic molecule in an animal model of FSHD, with genome-wide (ChIP-seq and RNA-seq) and functional approaches to evaluate safety and efficacy of the treatment.

Qualification
We are searching for a highly motivated and career-oriented research fellow with a high level of independence and a PhD degree in molecular and cellular biology.
Experience with transcriptomic/epigenomic profiling and animal models of muscular dystrophy is essential. Expertise in the production and use of AAV vectors will provide a selective advantage. Candidates possessing excellent analytical, communication and organizational skills must be able to work independently as well as with interdisciplinary teams.

Place of employment and work
San Raffaele is an international institute with a strong focus on biomedical research, offering an exceptional research environment and cutting-edge platforms. It is located in Milan, a cosmopolitan city, which has been ranked number one for quality of life in Italy: https://www.yesmilano.it/en.

The team
We are interested in understanding the mechanisms and dynamics of epigenetic regulation and chromatin structure, which coordinate global gene expression programs in normal and dystrophic muscle. We use in vitro and in vivo approaches to identify RNA profiles, transcription factor binding sites and epigenomes defining functional gene “hubs” and decision points that dynamically coordinate gene programming.

Terms of salary and employment
A 12-month renewable contract will be established. A competitive salary commensurate with the experience and qualifications will be offered to the successful candidate. Operating language in the laboratory is English. Applications including a cover letter, curriculum vitae and the names of (at least) two referees should be sent to: Davide Gabellini at gabellini.davide@hsr.it

For more information about the laboratory:
http://research.hsr.it/en/divisions/genetics-and-cell-biology/gene-expression-and-muscular-dystrophy.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=gabellini+davide&cmd=DetailsSearch

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È disponibile il bando della borsa di studio dell’associazione Nana presso IFO – Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena di Roma, dedicato a neolaureati con Laurea Magistrale in Scienze Biologiche e Scienze Farmaceutiche.

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