Job Description

The Pharmaceutical Technology Research Group led by Prof. Dr. Paola Luciani at the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, of the University of Bern, Switzerland, is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher/Fellow. The position is available for six years and is financed through the European Research Council's ERC Synergy Grant funding scheme. The starting date is 01 April 2026.


Many modern biotherapeutic molecules, such as peptides and proteins, cannot reach their targets inside the cell because they cannot pass through the protective cell membrane. The ERC Synergy project "Covalent Chaotropic Membrane Transport for Biotherapeutic Delivery" (acronym: CARAMEL) will investigate a new, groundbreaking strategy to transport these impermeable molecules into cells, abandoning classical design principles in favor of a completely new approach. This will be achieved within the next 6 years through the use of superchaotropic boron clusters.

The CARAMEL team will be composed of several PhD students and postdoctoral fellows from four leading European universities: the University of Bern (Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Luciani lab), the University of Santiago de Compostela (Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS), Spain; Montenegro lab), Constructor University (Bremen, Germany; Nau lab) and Marburg University (Marburg, Germany; Hantschel lab). Aim of this project, carried out in a highly multidisciplinary and international team in Bern, will be to work on the therapeutic proof-of-principle of superchaotropic boron clusters in cells, cell-derived material, and experimental models of diseases. This is a fixed-term project position.


Tasks
Cooperative research in a multidisciplinary and international environment in the ERC project CARAMEL Leveraging machine learning to predict the most efficient parameters for membrane transport Independent planning, implementation, and evaluation of experiments on membrane transport of superchaotropic boron clusters in cells and cell-derived material Development of experimental models of disease and in vivo evaluation of superchaotropic boron clusters Communication of research results through publications and conference presentations Project development, documentation, and communication with project partners

Requirements


MSc-degree or equivalent and a doctorate (PhD or MD/PhD) in a life science, medical, biomedical engineering, or pharmaceutical field Demonstrated proficiency in cell culture techniques, including independent work and oversight of cell culture activities in the laboratory. Experience with extracellular vesicle isolation and characterization techniques FELASA B certificate or willingness to obtain one Familiarity with biocomputational or machine learning methods will be considered an advantage Willingness to work in a multidisciplinary and multinational team Very good teamwork and communication skills Very good written and spoken English skills

We offer


The successful candidate would have the opportunity to undertake potential secondments in the laboratories of the other ERC Synergy PIs (Santiago, Bremen and Marburg) to gain complementary skills and access specialised facilities, subject to the project plan and mutual agreement.

Prof. Dr. Paola Luciani

E-mail: paola.luciani@unibe.ch

To apply, interested candidates are expected to submit:

A motivation letter Curriculum vitae, including academic certificates and up to two publications considered most relevant from the PhD work Two reference letters

Information on the selection procedure:

Deadline for applications: 1 February 2026 Evaluation criteria: academic performance, research experience, motivation, alignment with project goals Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview

www.karriere.unibe.ch
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