PhD position in microplastics and lung cancer

Department

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Organisation

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, University of Groningen, V25.0308

Job description

The vacancy is within the group of Prof. Barbro Melgert at the department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen. The Melgert lab focuses on understanding, preventing, and treating respiratory diseases, with a particular emphasis on how environmental exposures such as microplastics contribute to disease mechanisms. This new project specifically targets the role of microplastics in the development of lung cancer and is conducted in close collaboration with the lab of Dr Stefan Prekovic (UMC Utrecht).

The department’s laboratories are well equipped for molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, organoid culture, and omics-based analyses, offering an excellent research environment for a PhD candidate interested in environmental toxicology, cancer biology, and translational respiratory research. The working language in the labs is English.

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programs and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 34,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global center of knowledge.

Project aim
This project is part of a ZonMw-funded collaboration between the Melgert and Prekovic labs and aims to uncover how environmental microplastics—tiny plastic particles that have been found in human lungs—may contribute to lung cancer development. Recent findings show that synthetic fibers such as nylon and PVC impair lung epithelial differentiation and induce cellular behavior associated with cancer initiation.

The goal of this PhD project is to unravel how microplastic exposure alters lung epithelial cell fate and promotes early steps in lung tumor development. You will use cutting-edge techniques including lung organoid models, single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics, and CRISPR-based genetic perturbation.

Key objectives include

- Investigating how microplastics affect epithelial differentiation and promote features such as neuroendocrine transformation and cell proliferation.
- Dissecting the interaction of microplastics with cancer driver mutations (e.g. KRAS, TP53, MYC, SOX2) in organoid models.
- Identifying transcription factors and regulatory pathways that are modulated by microplastic exposure using scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq.
- Validating potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers related to microplastic-driven transformation.

The PhD candidate will work closely with researchers from both Groningen and Utrecht, and interact with experts at TNO (microplastics material specialists). This position is embedded in a multidisciplinary consortium investigating the environmental drivers of lung cancer and offers a strong translational and societal impact component.

Requirements

We are looking for enthusiastic and talented PhD candidates with

Essential qualifications

- An excellent MSc degree in Biomedical Sciences, Molecular Biology, Pharmacy, Toxicology, or a related field.
- Experience in molecular and cell biology techniques, including mammalian cell culture and molecular cloning.
- A critical, analytical mindset and a drive for scientific discovery.
- Motivation to contribute to translational and impactful research.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work in an interdisciplinary and international team.
- Fluency in English (spoken and written).

Preferred qualifications

- Prior experience with 3D cell culture, organoids, CRISPR-Cas9, or imaging-based phenotyping.
- Familiarity with transcriptomics or basic computational biology (R/Python).
- Interest in cancer biology, environmental health, or respiratory disease mechanisms.

Conditions of employment

Contract length: 48 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- A salary of € 2,901 (salary scale PhD candidates) gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3,707 gross per month in the fourth and final year, based on a full-time position.
- A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income an 8.3% year-end bonus.
- A temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years; prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that you will successfully complete your PhD thesis within the next three years. A PhD training programme is part of the agreement.

The preferred starting date is 1 September 2025

Job Application

Please send your application to us, by submitting the following documents: - Motivation letter. - Curriculum vitae. - Names and email addresses of at least two academic references willing to write confidential letters of recommendation. You may apply for this position until 15 June 11:59pm / before 16 June 2025 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/ Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen. Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Additional information

For additional information, please contact:

Prof. Barbro Melgert
[email protected]

In your application, please always include the job opening ID V25.0308

Digital application form