Researcher (Research Infrastructure Specialist), Core Facilities

Ref PAR 2023/1053

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

Core Facilities is a university-wide Life Science research infrastructure located at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Here you have access to some of Sweden’s most advanced techniques and analysis tools for research in eg. medicine, biomedicine and clinical studies. All our units have strong national and international profiles and are part of national research infrastructures such as SciLIfeLab. The units at Core Facilities are equipped with advanced instrumentation and highly competent and specialized staff. Next to highly qualified research support, our experts also offer theoretical education and practical courses. Our infrastructure is open to all researchers from Swedish and international institutions as well as private industry.

Centre for Cellular Imaging (CCI), in operation since 2003, is a national research infrastructure and one of the leading academic imaging facilities in Sweden providing expertise and access to advanced microscopy to the research community, both locally and at other Swedish universities and abroad (https://www.gu.se/en/core-facilities/centre-for-cellular-imaging). The CCI is located at the University of Gothenburg Core Facilities, and is also part of the National Microscopy Infrastructure (https://nmisweden.se/), the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab, scilifelab.se) and the Euro-BioImaging-ERIC (https://www.eurobioimaging.eu/). The CCI offers high-end imaging techniques for researchers in the various fields of life science, but also chemistry, physics, material science. The equipment includes several laser scanning (confocal and multiphoton) and conventional light microscopes, super-resolution microscopes, MALDI imaging mass spectrometry as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopes. We have also a comprehensive suite of electron microscopy sample preparation labs and equipment for room temperature, microwave and cryoEM preparation, including advanced ultramicrotomy capability. The scientific staff at the CCI assists researchers in the experimental designing and planning of microscopy experiments and provides the in-depth training for the operation of the microscopes and for specific imaging techniques. Additionally, support is provided in the processing, rendering and analysis of the acquired datasets and computational infrastructure for handling big image data. The CCI team has broad interactions with the wider microscopy community and has wide-ranging collaborations with both academic and industrial partners.

CCI is now recruiting a motivated and experienced Research Infrastructure Specialist in Electron Microscopy (EM) and its various applications in life sciences and more specifically in correlative array tomography. The position will involve direct participation in the research projects by performing ultrastructural analysis on various biological specimens including cultured yeast, bacteria, insect, and mammalian cells as well as model organisms such as flies, nematodes, fish, and rodents. The main tasks for the post holder will include sample preparation (chemical and cryo-fixation methods, resin embedding, serial sectioning) imaging (transmission and scanning EM, serial TEM, SEM and TEM tomography), advanced molecular mapping techniques (immuno-EM) and correlative array tomography, training, maintenance, and operations in electron microscopy.

Duties 

The role of Research Infrastructure Specialist will work within the Centre for Cellular Imaging national research infrastructure and in direct collaboration with the Cellular and Molecular Imaging SciLifeLab platform. The post-holder will assist in providing outstanding imaging science for researchers, from initial consultation, experiment design through to sample preparation, image acquisition, analysis, and data interpretation. The post-holder will work on multiple imaging projects from research scientists, educating and training of core facility users in to select and apply the appropriate electron microscopy techniques, across a broad range of biomedical research disciplines (cell biology, immunology, infection and immunity, parasitology, cancer biology, neurobiology, biomaterials, clinical research and more). The post-holder will use a range of sample preparation, imaging, and analysis workflows, encompassing electron and light microscopy, often combined into correlative and multimodal pipelines, including full cell/tissue processing (chemically and by cryo), sectioning (plastic embedded) and cryo-sectioning. The post-holder will be also involved in technique and method development projects where the scientific research questions demand new innovations in imaging science, to meet with the users’ needs and participate in the teaching of users and PhD students. The post-holder will also contribute to smooth day-to-day operation of the facility.

Key responsibilities

These include but are not limited to:

• Contribute to the service provision of an outstanding CCI for our users by producing high quality and timely results on individual projects, from initial consultation through to sample preparation, image acquisition and analysis and data interpretation, as part of the CCI team.
• Participate in the development of new 3D volume EM techniques under the guidance of the CCI Lead and together with the Cellular and Molecular Imaging Scilifelab platform.
• Train core facility scientists in all aspects of Electron Microscopy.
• Assist with general laboratory support including maintenance of microscopes, sample preparation equipment and rooms, purchasing and preparation of consumables including chemicals, buffers, and EM grids.
• Continuing professional development in the field of Electron Microscopy by attending courses and workshops, presenting work at scientific meetings, and keeping abreast of the relevant literature.