Technician in Primary T-Cell Engineering / Technicianess in Primary T-Cell Engineering

Technician in Primary T-Cell Engineering

Location: 100%, Basel, fixed-term

The Khammash Lab at ETH Zurich is seeking a motivated and skilled technician to join our interdisciplinary team working at the interface of synthetic biology, control engineering, and immunoengineering.

Project Background

This position is part of our newly funded ERC Advanced Grant, which aims to develop genetically engineered feedback control circuits in human T cells to tackle challenging diseases. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with a team of engineers and biologists to design, clone, and test synthetic circuits in primary human T cells, helping to translate these circuits into functional cellular therapies.

Job Description

Key responsibilities include:

• Engineering, transducing, and characterizing primary T cells with synthetic genetic circuits.
• Optimizing and executing protocols for retroviral or lentiviral transduction, cell culture, and immune functional assays.
• Supporting the development of in vivo models, such as adoptive T-cell transfer in mice, for preclinical testing of engineered circuits.
• Collaborating closely with molecular biologists, computational modelers, and clinical and preclinical research partners.
• Documenting results clearly and contributing to publications and presentations.
• Providing technical support and troubleshooting in T cell culture, molecular cloning, and viral production workflows.

Profile

The ideal candidate will have:

• MSc/BSc in biological sciences or a related area, with extensive hands-on experience.
• A strong practical background in primary T-cell isolation, culture, transduction (retroviral/lentiviral), and flow cytometry.
• Hands-on experience with viral vector production (e.g., lentivirus, retrovirus) and/or non-viral gene delivery tools such as PiggyBac or Sleeping Beauty, which is highly desirable.
• Experience with murine models, especially adoptive cell therapy, is a strong asset but not mandatory.
• Experience with engineering allogeneic T cell products is a strong plus.
• Excellent laboratory and organizational skills; ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Good communication skills in English.

In addition to technical skills, the candidate is expected to demonstrate social and leadership competencies needed for a positive work culture, including acting responsibly, nurturing well-being, driving innovation, fostering inclusivity, building connections, and enabling others.

Workplace

Join us in a stimulating, supportive, and international research environment at ETH Zurich, where you will have the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of control engineering, synthetic biology, and medicine.

We Offer

• A stimulating and supportive research atmosphere.
• Competitive salary according to ETH standards.
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and world-class collaborators.

We Value Diversity

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity, and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected.

Curious? So Are We!

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

About ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich is one of the world's leading universities specializing in science and technology. Renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research, and direct transfer of new knowledge into society, we foster an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, we connect globally to develop solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow.