PhD or Junior Postdoc to investigate molecular mechanisms in the field immune-rejuvenation

In the compelling and unstoppable research in favor of cellular rejuvenation, Sentcell LTD is looking for a Master/PhD student or Junior Postdoc (the latter with Felasa Certificate) to investigate molecular mechanisms and innovative therapies at the basis of T cell and systemic rejuvenation. The studies will be held at our new laboratory located at the Toscana Life Sciences, within the GSK Campus, in Siena, Italy.

Expertises required will span across:

1. Flow cytometry
2. In vivo studies
3. Immunoblotting/Immunoprecipitation
4. Elisa assays
5. PCR
6. Primary cultures
7. Bioinformatic skills are strongly appreciated (docking predictions).

The ideal candidate will possess:

1. Degree in Biology, Biotechnology, Medicine, or other Biological Sciences
2. Completed or about to complete: PhD in Cellular/Molecular Biology, Molecular Medicine, or Immunology
3. Felasa Certificate
4. Excellent level of spoken and written English
5. Team working skills
6. Flexibility in travelling between the laboratories of Siena (GSK Campus) and London (University College London)

The candidate, preferably with work experience abroad, will have an in-depth understanding in the field of Immunology and/or Biochemistry with particular regard to signal transduction.

The candidate(s) will be offered:

1. A competitive three-year contract commensurate to track record
2. Excellent career progression prospects with important salary adjustments and bonuses
3. Opportunities for professional growth of the highest level

Sentcell LTD was founded by Prof. Dr Alessio Lanna in the UK back in 2019, and has rapidly been recognised at the top of all biotech companies operating in the country.

Sentcell's first of its kind work started from the understanding that T lymphocytes, particularly CD4+ cells, are at the pinnacle of the aging process in all organs. Despite this, no T cell rejuvenation therapies presently exist and Sentcell is committed to filling in the gap. We were the first to discover the "sMAC" macromolecular complex, responsible for the cellular aging program of T lymphocytes (Lanna et al., Nature Immunology, 2014 and Lanna et al., Nature Immunology 2017), and a new anti-aging mechanism based on the transfer of telomeres in vesicles between immune cells (Lanna et al., Nature Cell Biology, 2022).

On this basis, we introduced the "DOS", which to date represents the first drug in the world capable of reversing T cell aging resulting in immune remodeling and systemic rejuvenation as a whole, via both sMAC disruption and telomere transfer induction (Lanna et al., under consideration). In the near future, these T cell rejuvenating approaches will span to fight a variety of diseases across the organism.

A first in human clinical trial of DOS will be held in the UK in 2025; as such candidates will be exposed to an extraordinary workflow spanning from target identification to drug discovery and in human medical translation to treat human diseases.