Project assistant in Molecular Skeletal Biology

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 46 000 students and 8 500 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Workplace Description

A vacant position is available in the Cell, Tissue and Organ Engineering research group (www.bourginelab.com), led by Paul Bourgine. The group specializes in the production of ossicles/bone tissue that recapitulate the structure and function of skeletal bone and bone marrow. In the long term, the research group aims to compile human-specific knowledge on how tissues are established and regenerated, with the goal of developing new and innovative treatment methods. The research group is part of the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine and the Lund Stem Cell Center.

The Lund Stem Cell Center is a strategic center of excellence in life science, with a strong international position in the area stem cell biology. It offers a stimulating scientific community within a world-renowned research environment that fosters collaboration, innovative thinking and career development. As project assistant in the lab, you will be a critical part of an interactive and international research team and you will have access to state of the art techniques and the infrastructure provided by the Lund Stem Cell Center.

Within our research group, we prioritize a positive work environment based on respect and care in our interactions with one another. We continuously strive to create conditions for job satisfaction, development, and engagement for all employees.

We are now seeking an project assistant at 100% for a period of 12 months, with a desired start date of 1st June 2026.

What we offer

Lund University is a public authority, which means you receive special benefits, generous vacation entitlements, and a favorable occupational pension. We also have a flexitime agreement that provides good conditions for balancing work and leisure. Read more on the university’s website about being employed at Lund University under Work at LU .

Work duties and areas of responsibility

The candidate will use human mesenchymal cell lines to engineer human cartilage tissue in vitro, by exploitation of developmentally-inspired protocol. The projects consist of transforming this cartilage tissue into an injectable cartilage matrix with potent osteoimductive properties. Duties include the in vitro production and characterization of engineered cartilage tissue throughout the different steps of the protocol.

Duties as a project assistant include:

• Lab organization
• Cell culture work
• Work with human bone marrow mesenchymal cells
• Dissection/characterization of tissues
• Cultivation of different cell types
• Molecular methods such as genotyping, RNA sequencing
• Data analysis

In addition to this, it also includes maintaining lab books and similar administrative tasks and participating in seminars and other meetings of importance. Inconvenient working hours occur.

Qualifications

Requirements for the position:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field to the research area or an equivalent foreign degree
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken
• Great emphasis will be placed on personal qualities; strong collaboration and communication skills are required
• Attention to detail is considered an important asset
• Demonstrated critical thinking and the ability to communicate and collaborate with other group members, as well as supervise junior students
• Experience in handling and analysis of mammalian cells and 3D cell culture histology
• Experience in human leukemia
• Experience in cancer, immunotherapy, and reprogramming is considered an advantage

Meritorious Qualifications

• Experience in preclinical projects
• Documented knowledge of techniques used in cellular biology
• Proven experience in CRISPR gene editing
• Hands-on experience with 2D/3D cell culture
• Practical experience with PCR, RT-PCR, and qPCR
• Practical experience with cloning and electrophoresis
• Practical experience in tissue sectioning and staining (histology and immunofluorescence)
• Strong international experience from well-recognized institutions is highly valued
• Experience in handling and analysis of blood cells (PBMCs, HSCs, monocytes)
• Documented knowledge in hematology and acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
• A suitable candidate should have strong knowledge of techniques in cellular biology, 2D/3D cell culture, and flow cytometry of human blood populations

Other information

The position is a fixed-term special employment at 100% for the period 1st June 2026 – 31st May 2027.

How to apply

Applications are submitted through the university’s recruitment system. Your application must include a cover letter explaining your motivation for applying and how your qualifications match the position. The application must also include a CV, degree certificates or equivalent documents, and any other materials you wish to cite (copies of transcripts, reference contacts, letters of recommendation, etc.).

We warmly welcome your application!

The Faculty of Medicine is a part of Lund University, and is responsible for education and research within medicine and healthcare. Our academic programs are closely linked with the healthcare system and are firmly anchored in the faculty’s strong research tradition. Our research spans a broad field within experimental preclinical research, near-patient clinical research and health sciences research. The Faculty of Medicine, with its 1,800 employees and 2,700 students in Lund and Malmö, is a knowledge-intensive meeting place for students, teachers and researchers from all over the world.

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