Postdoctoral position in Antibiotic Development

We are looking for an ambitious postdoctoral researcher to study antibiotic efficacy against non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in a physiologically relevant human airway infection model. The position is shared between the Boeck Lab (Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel) and the Jenal Lab (Biozentrum), embedded in the NCCR AntiResist research network, and includes close collaboration with A&J Science, a company advancing new antibacterial compounds.

About the project

Pulmonary NTM infections are increasing worldwide and remain notoriously difficult to cure. How NTM colonise and persist in human airways and how they respond to antibiotics in tissue remains poorly understood. The Jenal Lab has established a fully differentiated air-liquid interface (ALI) human airway model and used it to dissect how Pseudomonas aeruginosa breaches the respiratory barrier (Nature Microbiology 2024). The Boeck Lab has developed large-scale imaging approaches to measure antibiotic killing dynamics across NTM strains and drugs, linking drug tolerance to bacterial genotypes and clinical outcome (Nature Microbiology 2026). This project brings both platforms together to establish NTM infection in human airway tissues and build a tissue-based drug efficacy platform for antimycobacterial compounds.

Responsibilities

• Establish NTM infection in human ALI airway epithelium and characterise infection dynamics.
• Develop and validate a tissue-based antibiotic efficacy platform, measuring bacterial growth and killing dynamics, intracellular drug activity, and tissue integrity during treatment.
• Test novel antimicrobial compounds alongside standard-of-care antibiotics and compare tissue-based efficacy with conventional drug testing.
• Lead the project scientifically and work at the interface of two academic labs and an industry partner.

Requirements

• PhD in infection biology, microbiology, cell biology, or a related discipline.
• Experience with microbiology techniques, such as bacterial culture, genetic manipulation, and imaging.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture (organoid or ALI culture is particularly valuable).
• Ability to design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments independently.
• Strong motivation, scientific curiosity, and drive.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary consortium.

Benefits

• A fully funded 2-year postdoctoral position within the NCCR AntiResist.
• Access to cutting-edge technologies, such as high-content imaging and confocal microscopy.
• An established human airway infection platform ready for adaptation to NTM.
• Close interaction with drug development partners.
• A vibrant, international, and collaborative research environment at the University of Basel.
• Support for independent funding applications and career development.
• Competitive salary and excellent quality of life in Basel, Switzerland.