Despite the success of EBV-specific T-cell therapies in selected malignancies, therapeutic efficacy remains limited in tumors expressing only a restricted repertoire of viral antigens. This project aims to identify novel tumor-reactive T-cell receptors (TCRs) that can be translated into next-generation adoptive T-cell therapies.
The successful candidate will develop patient-derived tumor models and combine them with cutting-edge technologies including CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering, immunopeptidomics, single-cell multiomics, and functional immunology. The project is embedded in a translational research program that develops virus-specific T-cell therapies with clinical application through close collaboration with clinicians, GMP manufacturing facilities, and clinical trial units. It therefore offers a unique opportunity to gain expertise across the entire translational pipeline – from mechanistic discovery to cellular therapy development and clinical implementation.
Your responsibilities
As part of this interdisciplinary project, you will:
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Establish patient-derived in vitro tumor models from EBV-positive malignancies.
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Engineer HLA-defined target cells using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.
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Isolate and characterize tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from patient samples.
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Perform single-cell profiling of immune cell transcriptomes and TCR repertoires.
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Reconstruct and functionally validate candidate TCRs to determine antigen specificity, HLA restriction, and anti-tumor activity.
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Perform advanced immunological assays including multicolor flow cytometry, T-cell expansion, cytokine secretion, proliferation, and cytotoxicity assays.
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Integrate functional, genomic, and transcriptomic datasets in collaboration with computational scientists.
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Present research findings at laboratory meetings and international conferences.
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Contribute to high-impact publications and collaborative research projects.
