4 Early Stage Researchers (ESR) – PhD fellowships in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN European Training Network ENDONANO

The research activities implemented in ENDONANO have the following objectives:

1. interaction of LPS with biological entities/molecules (cells, receptors, binding peptides, etc.);
2. interaction of LPS with particulate matter, more specifically gold, silver and iron oxide nanoparticles (Au, Ag and Fe with different characteristics of chemical stability and optical response);
3. NP functionalisation for optimal LPS capture/scavenging in different media (biological fluids, emulsions, gels, etc.) (which will be at the basis of the colorimetric and plasmonic detection of the LPS presence);
4. synthesis of detection probes based on fluorescence total internal reflection (molecular beacons) for optimal detection and quantitative signalling of LPS presence;
5. set up of a range of prototypes of quantitative LPS detection assays;
6. pre-commercial kit prototype design and validation in different settings.

The 4 selected ESRs will be employed 18 months in a company, and 18 months in academia and will be enrolled in the PhD programme in Medical Biology of the beneficiary’s organization PLUS (PARIS LODRON UNIVERSITY OF SALZBURG). They will participate in the network’s training activities and work placements at the laboratories of the participating academic and industrial partners. In addition, the training programme of the recruited ESRs will be implemented with regular meetings and workshops within the ENDONANO network.

The 4 ESRs’ projects are the following:

ESR1: Human monocytes and macrophages as detectors of bacterial endotoxins.

ESR1 will be employed by CNR (National Research Council – Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology-IBBC, Napoli, Italy; Dr. Paola Italiani) for the first 18 months and then by DIAG (Diagnosticum-DIAG, Hungary; Dr. József Prechl) for the final 18 months.

ESR2: Designing LPS binding molecules

ESR2 will be employed by PLUS (Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria; Dr. Jutta Horejs-Höck) for the first 18 months and then by Miltenyi (Milteyi, Germany; Dr. Christiane Siewert) for the final 18 months.

ESR3: Innovative fluorescence and optomagnetic assay for LPS detection

ESR3 will be employed by CNR (National Research Council – The Institute of Food Sciences, Avellino, ITALY; Dr. Sabato D’Auria) for the first 18 months and then by BSD (Blusense-BSD, Denmark; Dr. Marco Donolato) for the final 18 months.

ESR4: Binding of endotoxin by metal NP in different media

ESR4 will be employed by ICN2 (Institut Català de Nanociènca i Nanotecnologia, Spain; Dr. Victor Puntes) for the first 18 months and then by Miltenyi (Milteyi, Germany; Dr. Dr. Jonathan Fauerbach) for the final 18 months.

For more information and details on the projects’ scientific description, please visit www.endonano.eu end https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/423406