Research assistant (1–2 positions) in single-cell proteomics of mitochondrial disease

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB) is one of the largest departments at Karolinska Institutet, focused on basic research in biomedical sciences. We have a long and proud history of ground-breaking science, particularly developing innovative methods and applying them to understand fundamental human biology and the mechanisms that cause disease.

MBB is located in the beautiful Biomedicum research center, along with four other departments. You will join a vibrant community of over a thousand researchers, with outstanding facilities and a wide range of talents. Biomedicum is situated close to both the Karolinska University Hospital (for clinical collaborations) and the Science for Life Laboratory, a national research infrastructure of unique technologies.

You will work in the group “Proteomes of Metabolism” led by Assist. Prof. Florian Rosenberger. We develop and apply cutting-edge mass spectrometry technologies down to the single-cell level to answer a fundamental question: Why do metabolic diseases, especially mitochondrial defects, affect different cell types in different ways?

Your mission

As a research assistant, you will use our spatial proteomics pipeline (Deep Visual Proteomics) to generate quantitative proteomics data from tissue specimens. You will:

• Investigate how metabolic pathways are rewired by mitochondrial defects.
• Implement methods for in situ sequencing and advanced image analysis.
• Analyse proteome perturbation datasets with ML frameworks.

You will collaborate closely with experts in mitochondrial biology and proteomics in a highly interdisciplinary, international environment. The working language is English.

Your profile

You have a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, or a related field, with an experimental and/or computational profile. We are looking for a motivated, creative, and curious colleague with a strong interest in interdisciplinary research. Personal suitability is of great importance when evaluating the applicants.

Required skills and interests:

• Strong motivation for interdisciplinary technology development and creative problem-solving.
• Experience in interpreting biological data and testing hypotheses experimentally.
• Molecular biology methods, including cell culture.
• Familiarity with CRISPR-based methods.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team.
• Strong interest in omics and/or image data analysis (Python and/or R).

Meritorious (considered a plus):

• Experience with proteomics and mass spectrometry workflows.
• Knowledge of mitochondrial biology or metabolism.
• Documented track record of translational research.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several good benefits through our collective agreement. And you get to practice freely in our modern wellness facilities, where trained staff are on site.

Location: Biomedicum, Solna

Application

Welcome to apply at the latest 2026-06-08.

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system. In this recruitment, you will apply with your CV and a personal letter. In addition, you are required to upload a draft solution to the following problem:

You are given the task to trace samples in the Deep Visual Proteomics workflow from collection tube to data analysis via some sort of database system and a barcode or similar. Assume you have one full-time week of your own coding time and a 10 kSEK hardware budget, and that everything else must be free or already in the lab. Describe how you would build v1, what you would deliberately leave out, and how your system would behave in three specific failure scenarios:

1. A plate is mislabelled at the LMD step.
2. A patient withdraws consent three months after MS acquisition.
3. A raw file is reprocessed six months later with an updated software version.

The submission should fit on one page and include a small figure. Use whatever tools help you think, but be ready to discuss your choices if invited to interview.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all

1. Florian Rosenberger, [email protected]

1. Helin Norberg, SACO, [email protected]
2. Anurupa Nagchowdhury, OFR, [email protected]