Technician / Senior Technician - Cancer Functional Genomics and Experimental Biology

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: October 30th, 2026

Join a place where ambitious science thrives

Human Technopole (HT) is an interdisciplinary life science research institute in Milan, bringing together experimental and computational approaches to advance our understanding of human biology and disease.

Located within the Computational Biology Research Centre, the Iorio Lab operates at the interface of functional genomics, cancer biology, computational biology and artificial intelligence. The group combines large-scale CRISPR perturbation, transcriptomic profiling and computational modelling to identify cancer vulnerabilities, investigate drug response and resistance, and support therapeutic target discovery.

We are looking for a motivated Technician or Senior Technician to support the laboratory's growing experimental functional-genomics programme. The successful candidate will work closely with postdoctoral researchers and other team members on projects investigating cancer drug resistance and combinatorial therapeutic vulnerabilities, while contributing to the broader experimental activities of the group.

Your mission

You will support the execution and optimisation of experimental workflows across cancer functional genomics projects, with a particular focus on cancer models, CRISPR-based perturbation experiments and drug-response studies.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Maintaining, characterising and quality-controlling parental and drug-resistant cancer cell models, ensuring reliable and reproducible experimental work.
• Supporting CRISPR-based perturbation studies, including pooled and targeted screens, transfection/transduction workflows and individual or combinatorial genetic perturbations.
• Performing pharmacological and phenotypic assays, including drug-response, combination-treatment and cell-viability experiments.
• Conducting routine molecular biology procedures, including DNA/RNA extraction, PCR and western blotting, and preparing samples for downstream genomic and transcriptomic profiling.
• Contributing to the laboratory's wider functional-genomics programme, including cancer dependency mapping and post-perturbation molecular profiling.
• Maintaining accurate experimental records and supporting reagent and sample management, coordination with HT National Facilities, and collaboration across experimental and computational teams.

Depending on the level of appointment, you will progressively take ownership of experimental workflows and contribute to the planning, coordination and optimisation of research activities.

Grow your skills

You will join an interdisciplinary research environment where experimental biology, computational modelling and artificial intelligence are closely integrated.

The role offers the opportunity to develop expertise in cancer functional genomics, CRISPR screening, cancer pharmacology and perturbational biology. You will contribute to projects investigating mechanisms of drug resistance and identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities, while gaining exposure to advanced molecular profiling approaches and collaborative, data-driven research.

What you'll bring

Essential

• A degree in molecular biology, biotechnology, genetics, biochemistry or a related life-science discipline.
• Hands-on experience in mammalian cell culture and standard cell-viability assays.
• Practical experience with routine molecular biology techniques, including molecular cloning, DNA/RNA extraction, PCR and western blotting.
• Fluency in English, the working language of Human Technopole.

For appointment at Senior Technician level, substantial relevant professional experience in an academic, biotechnology or pharmaceutical laboratory is required, ideally including responsibility for complex experimental workflows or support for multiple research projects.

Preferred

The following qualifications are desirable but not essential. We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all of them.

• Experience with CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, pooled functional-genomics screens or targeted genetic perturbations.
• Experience with cell transfection, lentiviral production and transduction.
• Familiarity with drug-response and combination-treatment assays in cancer models.
• Experience with flow cytometry or advanced cancer models, such as 3D spheroids and organoids.
• Familiarity with genomic and transcriptomic sample preparation, sequencing workflows or single-cell technologies, including 10x Genomics.
• Experience supporting large-scale, standardised experimental projects; basic knowledge of bioinformatics, data visualisation or R/Python would also be an advantage.

Organizational and social skills

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to plan experiments, manage multiple activities and maintain accurate experimental documentation.
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks while collaborating effectively with researchers from different scientific backgrounds.

Why Human Technopole

HT offers an international and dynamic workplace, competitive welfare provisions, flexible working policies and relocation support. Researchers moving to Italy benefit from attractive tax benefits. We promote work–life balance and provide parental support initiatives.

How to apply

Submit:

• CV

• Motivation letter

• Contact details of two referees

This is a fixed-term 2-year contract, offered under CCNL Chimico Farmaceutico, employee level.

Salary: up to € 43k.

The position is based in Milan, Italy, within our vibrant international campus.

We strongly encourage applications from candidates belonging to protected categories (L. 68/99).