PostDoc in Immunology (m/f/d)

Das Sind Wir

The Harrer lab is conducting translational research focused on immune responses in autoimmunity and viral infections. We are looking for a PostDoc (m/f/d) to join our team on a project investigating the immune cell receptor repertoire in patients with ME/CFS and Post-COVID‑syndrome (PCS). Detection of functional GPCR autoantibodies correlates to fatigue in PCS patients but so far, it is unclear why only subgroups of patients responded to autoantibody targeting treatments. Therefore, additional biomarkers are needed to delineate the role of autoimmunity in ME/CFS and PCS and to monitor the effectiveness of immunomodulatory treatments. One promising strategy in this context is the analysis of BCR and TCR repertoire of ME/CFS and PCS patients to detect potentially expanded or autoreactive clones that can be targeted. The aim of the project is to investigate whether scRNA‑seq of the immune receptor repertoire is capable of detecting autoimmune reactions in patients with ME/CFS and PCS and of assessing their response to immunomodulatory therapies.

Tasks

• Investigation of the TCR and BCR repertoire in ME/CFS and PCS patients by single‑cell RNA sequencing
• In‑silico mapping of putative epitopes to identified VDJ sequences
• In‑vitro validation of identified BCR‑epitope pairs via PhIP‑Seq

Qualification

• PhD in Immunology, Virology or a related field
• Good working knowledge in immunology, especially T and B cell immunology
• Experience in primary cell culture, single‑cell sequencing and downstream analysis
• Scientific enthusiasm and motivation
• Ability to work in a team in an interdisciplinary manner

Additional benefical

• Experience in flow cytometry
• Bioinformatic skills (R/Python)
• Proficiency in English

We offer

• Salary will be according to TV‑L E13, depending on qualifications and personal prerequisites
• A crises‑proof job with all the benefits of a collective agreement - including supplementary pension provision via the VBL (Federal and State Government Employees' Pension Fund) - with us as a system‑relevant employer in the public sector
• A comprehensive range of health promotion services