The BITS BioCyTiH Foundation (henceforth The Foundation) is a Section 8 non-profit company hosted by BITS Pilani under the National Mission of Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) of Government of India (GOI). The mandate of the company is to fashion a platform that would foster translational research, innovation, skill development and training in areas of bio-cyber-physical systems (Bio-CPS) related to healthcare, agriculture, water and environment. The aim is to build state of the art national facilities across three campuses of BITS Pilani (viz. Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad), extend support to researchers, innovators and startups building products and solutions. As part of the infrastructure a Bio-CPS focused incubator is planned to be built and operationalized which will house innovators and startups.
Post : Research Associate (Post-Doctoral Fellow)
Project Title & Details
Methylated cfDNA as a pathological biomarker for the development of a CRISPR/Cas based molecular diagnostic tool
Details : Chronic diseases are estimated to kill almost 41 million people a year worldwide, making up seven out of ten deaths globally. Of these deaths, approximately 17 million are classed as premature, with people dying significantly younger than expected on average (WHO, 2020). Some of the most common chronic diseases include Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Cardio-vascular diseases (CVDs), and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). In addition, in some cases, the patient could be diagnosed with all of these diseases. However, the management of these diseases is possible if the patient could be treated at an early stage. Biosensors are the tools that can diagnose any infection/disease within the body by analysing molecular biomarkers such as nucleic acids and proteins. Literature evidence suggests the association of disease progression with the changes in the cell-free DNA (cfDNA) present in the blood, serum, and urine thus it could reflect the pathological conditions. CRISPR biosensors have been reported for their ability to detect nucleic acid at the femtomole level with high accuracy and precision and therefore could be a potential method to detect the aforementioned nucleic acid biomarkers. The project involves the genetic interrogation of the cfDNA and its correlation with the disease progression and to utilize the CRISPR system for developing a biosensor that could detect chronic diseases at an early stage.
Duration : 12 months or till project duration, whichever is earlier
Job Description and Responsibilities
The candidate will be responsible for lab activities related to the above project. The candidate will be responsible for 90% core research activities, including scientific logistics (grant writing, lab and grant management, etc.), 10% with Ph.D. scholars (support for young researchers)
Qualification and Experience
Essential: The applicant should hold a Ph.D. Degree or have submitted thesis in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacology, Biotechnology, Life Sciences or related field. Candidates who are on the verge of their thesis submission can also apply. Their joining will be subjected to the fulfillment of the essential requirements.
Salary
47000/-p.m. + applicable HRA for candidates with thesis submitted
49000/-p.m. + applicable HRA for candidates with Ph. D degree awarded
54000/-p.m. + applicable HRA for candidates with two years of post Ph. D experience
Project PI : Prof. Deepak Chitkara
Primary Location of the position : BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, Vidya Vihar, Pilani, Rajasthan
See All D.Pharm Alerts B.Pharm Alerts B.Sc Alerts Rajasthan Alerts
See All Other Jobs in our Database
.png)
