About The Role

Within the Jacqueline Jacobs lab at the Division of Oncogenomics we are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Research Assistant to join our team and contribute to a KWF-funded research project investigating the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of genomic instability in cancer. You will work closely with a PhD student and other members of the research group to uncover novel factors that influence genomic instability and to investigate how these factors can be exploited for cancer therapy. Could this be your next challenge? We’d love to hear from you and explore what we could achieve together!

In this role, you will perform a broad range of molecular and cellular biology experiments and contribute to the day-to-day progress of the project. While genome instability is a key hallmark of cancer, we still have an incomplete understanding of the processes that prevent or cause genomic instability and of the conditions that determine how well cells tolerate genomic instability. In this KWF funded fundamental research project we aim to tackle this by identifying and mechanistically investigating novel factors with a significant impact on genome stability and the consequences of genome instability. We identify these factors through genome-wide functional genetic screens that read out the consequences of telomere deprotection, a key cause of genome instability.

We will set out to identify novel factors that promote lethal telomere-driven genomic instability that results from aberrant DNA repair activities at deprotected telomeres, and we will investigate their mechanism of action. In addition, we will set out to identify factors that do the opposite and suppress lethal telomere-driven genomic instability. We will investigate their mechanism of action and how the inhibition of these factors may be exploited in cancer therapy by increasing genomic instability over the limit that is tolerable for cell survival. Together this work will increase our understanding of the processes that cause, worsen or prevent genomic instability and will contribute to identifying potential ways to selectively eliminate incipient or advanced cancer cells with instable telomeres, or those prone to other forms of mutagenic DNA repair.

As a Research Assistant, you will support and actively contribute to the execution of the research project. Your responsibilities will include:

Performing molecular and cellular biology experiments, including mammalian cell culture, genome editing, microscopy, flow cytometry and molecular analyses;
Supporting genome-wide functional genetic screening experiments and follow-up validation studies;
Collecting, documenting and organizing experimental data;
Contributing to troubleshooting and optimization of experimental procedures;
Maintaining laboratory stocks, equipment and shared resources;
Working closely with the PhD student and other lab members to ensure efficient execution of the project;
Participating in lab meetings and scientific discussions.

Why the Netherlands Cancer Institute?

Science is at the heart of everything we do at the NKI. But breakthroughs don't happen through science alone; they happen through people – curious minds, bold thinkers, people who challenge assumptions and turn complex questions into meaningful discoveries. Around 600 scientists, together with 150 scientific and 150 administrative professionals, work here across the full spectrum of cancer research, from fundamental science to clinical innovation. With roughly 55 nationalities represented, we form a vibrant international community where English is our shared language and every voice carries equal weight. Our institute sits just 15 minutes by bike from the heart of Amsterdam.