Main Purpose of the Job

An exciting opportunity is available for an outstanding Research Scientist to join the Whitchurch group at the Quadram Institute on the Norwich Research Park in the UK. The ultimate aim of the work is to understand alternate bacterial lifestyles (biofilms, cell wall deficiency, persisters) in order to develop interventions to benefit both human and animal health. This position is focused on utilising chemical biology and microbial genetic approaches.

The position will involve working with limited supervision to carry out individual and collaborative projects relevant to the overall needs of the research and development programme. The work will also involve supervision of staff and students and participation in general group management.

The project will exploit state of the art facilities for high throughput compound and mutant library screens, microbial genomics and advanced optical microscopy. The Quadram Institute Bioscience and the Whitchurch group will provide you with a stimulating, multidisciplinary training environment that will assist you in your successful scientific development.

Key Relationships

Internal: Line manager, group members and, as necessary, other researchers, research support staff and students across the Institute.

External: Academic collaborators and industry partners

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Identify, plan, carry out and modify experiments to meet the objectives of the project

40

Prepare results, reports and manuscripts for publication in leading scientific journals and other relevant media

10

Collaborate with colleagues within the Institute in the development of original and world-class research, including contributing to research proposals and grant applications

10

Liaise with industry and other external stakeholders

10

Ensure research and record keeping is carried out in accordance with good practice, Scientific Integrity and in compliance with local policies and any legal requirements

10

Disseminate research findings though presentations to various audiences at internal, national and international meetings

10

As agreed with line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the post

5

Contribute to the smooth running of the group, including the effective use of resources, supervision of visitors to the laboratory and assisting with training others, encouraging scientific excellence

5

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

PhD in microbiology, molecular biology, chemical biology, or biochemistry

Essential

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Hands-on experience with molecular microbiology and/or chemical biology techniques

Essential

Microbiology culture techniques

Essential

In-depth knowledge of cell-wall-deficient bacteria

Desirable

In-depth knowledge of bacterial biofilms

Desirable

In depth knowledge of bacterial cell wall biogenesis

Desirable

In-depth knowledge of antibiotic resistance mechanisms

Desirable

In-depth knowledge of microbial physiology

Desirable

TraDIS

Desirable

Bioinformatics

Desirable

RNAseq

Desirable

Antibiotic sensitivity testing

Desirable

Statistical analysis

Desirable

Management and interrogation of large data sets

Desirable

Optical microscopy

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Demonstrated ability to perform research and develop novel ideas

Essential

Proven record in scientific writing

Essential

Experience of oral research presentations

Essential

Experience of supervising, training and mentoring visitors and students

Essential

Good publication record in peer reviewed scientific journals

Essential

Ability to work independently

Essential

Working with pathogenic bacteria and genetically modified organisms

Desirable

Working with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Desirable

Microscopy of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells particularly high-resolution optical microscopy and using the imaging software packages Imaris and FIJI/Image J

Desirable

Working collaboratively with industry pharmaceutical partners

Desirable

Working collaboratively with other research groups

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, including the ability to present complex information with clarity

Essential

Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders

Essential

Ability to follow instructions/Standard Operating Procedures

Essential

Promotes and strives for continuous improvement

Essential

Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work as part of a team

Essential

Demonstrated ability to work independently, using initiative and applying problem solving skills

Essential

Excellent time management and organisational skills

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Attention to detail

Essential

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the Institute, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Ability to undertake occasional travel (national and international) related to collaborations and/or seminars

Essential

Quadram Institute Bioscience

The Quadram Institute is at the forefront of a new interface between food science, gut biology and health, developing solutions to worldwide challenges in food-related disease and human health.

We are engaged in fundamental and translational food and health research, alongside clinical studies, endoscopy and industry, working together to become a leading international hub for food and health research, combining scientific excellence and clinical expertise, delivering impacts on patient care and accelerating innovation.

The Quadram Institute is a diverse and multicultural scientific community. We thrive on our international and European links, appointing staff from across the world. Any candidate who would like further information on current or anticipated immigration requirements can contact the HR Team on +44 (0)1603 450888 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk.

For more information about working at Quadram Institute Bioscience, please click here.

Department

Microbes in the Food Chain

Group Details

The Whitchurch group is interested in the fundamental characterisation of alternate bacterial lifestyles, including biofilms, cell wall deficiency, and persisters, and in understanding how these contribute to bacterial survival, human and animal health, and antimicrobial resistance. We have expertise in a range of techniques that we use to achieve our aims including molecular microbiology, microbial genetics, chemical genetics, infection models, high throughput screens, and advanced optical microscopy including super-resolution, live-cell, deconvolution, confocal and high content imaging.

Advert Text

An exciting opportunity is available for an outstanding Research Scientist to join the Whitchurch group at Quadram Institute Bioscience on the Norwich Research Park in the UK, to contribute to fundamental research into bacterial lifestyles.

The role:

This project will use various chemical biology, molecular microbiology, microbial genetics and microscopy techniques to investigate alternate bacterial lifestyles (e.g. biofilms, cell wall deficiency, persisters) to understand their roles in the food chain, human health, and antimicrobial resistance.

The position will involve working with limited supervision to carry out individual and collaborative research projects relevant to the overall needs of the research programme. The work will also involve supervision of staff and students and general group management.

The project will exploit state of the art facilities for high throughput compound and mutant library screens, microbial genomics and advanced optical microscopy. The Quadram Institute Bioscience and the Whitchurch group will provide you with a stimulating, multidisciplinary training environment that will assist you in your successful scientific development.

The ideal candidate:

Candidates are expected to have a PhD in a relevant subject area (e.g. Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Biology or Biochemistry). They will have knowledge of and hands-on experience with molecular microbiology and/or chemical biology techniques. Knowledge and skills with quantitative image analysis, biofilm models and bioinformatics are also desirable.

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £32,255 to £39,345 per annum depending on qualifications and experience.  This post is a fulltime post for a period of three years.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sectors of society.  The Institute supports equality of opportunity within the workplace and expects all employees to share and display these values.  To support our commitment, we have a range of family, faith and diversity friendly working arrangements to help all staff achieve excellence in their area of work.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.

About the Quadram Institute:

The Quadram Institute is a new interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to understanding how food and microbes interact to promote health and prevent disease. Its mission is to deliver healthier lives through innovation in gut health, microbiology and food. A partnership between Quadram Institute Bioscience, the University of East Anglia, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and BBSRC, it brings together scientists and clinicians in a state-of-the-art building on the Norwich Research Park. This is one of Europe’s largest centres of life sciences and home of the John Innes Centre and The Earlham Institute