PhD position
Recruiting organisation:
Contipro a.s., Czech Republic
Research and Development department PI: Dr. Martin Pravda
Subproject title:
Hyaluronan based hydrogels for mucosal drug delivery
Starting date:
01.10.2021
Job description:
The advertised subproject will be carried out by a PhD student (“Early-stage Researcher”) at Contipro a.s. over a period of 36 months. The recruited researcher will work in the field of development of new hyaluronan based mucoadhesive hydrogels. Contipro is biotechnological company and it is one of world leader in production of hyaluronan as active pharmaceutical ingredient. Its R&D is focus on the development of new hyaluronan based materials for use in regenerative medicine. ESR will be train in the chemical modification of biopolymers, instrumental analysis of biopolymer structure, rheology of biopolymer solutions and hydrogels development of the pharmaceutical formulations and transfer of the new product to commercial use. The ESR will be registered for the PhD program at one of the universities in the Czech Republic.
The overall goal of this subproject is the development of hyaluronan based hydrogel for transmucosal delivery of biopharmaceuticals.
The specific goals are:
- Design of mucoadhesive hydrogel formulation for intranasal administration
- Evaluation of rheological properties of hydrogel composition
- Incorporation of biopharmaceutics in the hydrogel structure
- Evaluation of biopharmaceutics release
The main working tasks of the advertised subproject are:
(1) Identification of relevant process parameters with an influence in intranasal application, mucoadhesive properties, biodegradation of hydrogel and drug release.
(2) Incorporation of biopharmaceuticals maintaining the bioactivity of the drug.
(3) Mucoadhesion of the hydrogel formulation on the site-of-action.
Secondments are planned as follows:
(1) Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB), Germany: Two months
(2) Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom: Two months
This subproject is fully funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Training Network „Bio2Brain“ (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020). The monthly gross salary consists of a living allowance, mobility allowance, and family allowance (if applicable). This is € 39 290,47 per annum which includes the single person’s mobility allowance, or €42 290,47 per annum, which includes the married person’s/dependents mobility allowance.
For more information on MSCA-ITN, please see: https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/.
The recruited researcher will have the opportunity to work as part of an international, interdisciplinary team of 13 PhD students, based at universities and industrial firms throughout Europe.
The successful candidate will attend yearly summer schools as well as international meetings and will receive training on transferable skills. The ESR is expected to finish the project with a PhD thesis and to disseminate the results through patents (if applicable), publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences.
Background information:
Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Training Networks (ETNs) are joint research and training projects funded by the European Union. Funding is provided for PhD students from both inside and outside Europe to carry out individual project work in a European country other than their own.
The Bio2Brain network will create a research environment for the interdisciplinary and intersectoral training of 13 ESRs for project work lasting for 36 months. They are supported by 11 academic teams (beneficiaries and partner universities), 5 key industrial stakeholders and an academic non-profit organization.
Disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), including multiple sclerosis as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, affect around 165 million people in Europe. These disorders are often associated with severe suffering of the patients and their families, as well as an enormous burden on the social systems.
The Bio2Brain trans-European research network aims to promote efficient drug administration to the CNS. The research and training programme covers the development of new advanced materials, formulations, and engineered proteins for the intranasal CNS delivery of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The ESRs will obtain experience in the entire transdisciplinary development cycle of the medicinal product, from pharmacological drug pathway validation, product and process design, synthesis to characterization, as well as validation and quality control. The training will be complemented with useful tools for the time to market and commercialisation phase.
Requirements:
Qualifications / experience:
- Early-stage researcher: a researcher without a PhD, who is in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research career, measured from the date when the ESR obtained the degree, which would formally entitle to embark on a doctorate.
Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.
- Graduation in the field of chemistry, pharmacy, bio- and nanotechnology or related fields – M.Sc. preferred.,
- Experience in at least one of the following areas:
- Polymer chemistry
- Material science
- Physical chemistry of polymers
- Practical experience in laboratory work is a must.
- Basic knowledge of (bio-)analytics is a plus.
- Basic knowledge of data analysis and Microsoft Office.
- Well-structured and autonomous working style, flexible and co-operative, very good organizational and communication skills, good writing and presentation skills, willing to travel and go on secondments.
- Fluency in written and spoken English is a must.
Disabled applicants will be given preference, if equally qualified. Goals related to gender equality and diversity policy are an integral part out our institution. Therefore, we are pleased to receive applications from qualified and diverse persons.
Mobility:
The applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies etc.) in Czech Republic for more than 12 months in the past three years. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.
How to apply:
Interested candidates are strongly advised, prior to applying, to read carefully the job description and to contact Martin Pravda at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in case of any questions or doubts.
To apply, please fill out the information in the table below and upload at least:
Your complete CV, a half-page summary of master/diploma thesis, certificates of examination grades, a letter of motivation (up to 1 page) describing your research career goals, skills and experience, and names and contact information of at least two academic referees who could write a letter of recommendation.
For further information about Contipro, please see: https://www.contipro.com/ .
For questions, please contact:
Dr. Martin Pravda: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or Natalie Pechackova: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Assessment of applications starts 6 April 2021.
Interviews are planned for April/ May 2021.
