Main Purpose of the Job

Applications are invited for a Project Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Naiara Beraza in the Food, Microbiome, and Health programme at Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB)

The post holder is expected to provide expertise and support in:
• Establishing and characterising (e.g., genotyping) mouse lines;
• Harvest tissue for analysis;
• Extracting cells, nuclei, chromatin and nucleic acids from tissue for analysis;
• Contribute to data collection;
• Training and supervision of staff and students in above work.

Key Relationships

This post is funded by a FAPESP-MRC project in collaboration with the groups of Patrick Varga-Weisz (University of Essex), Radu Zabet (Queen Mary University, London) and Marco Vinolo (UNICAMP, Brazil). The successful candidate will work closely with these collaborators.
 

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

• Harvest tissue for analysis
• Extracting cells, nuclei, chromatin and nucleic acids from tissue for analysis
• Contribute to data collection
• Training and supervision of staff and students in above work

60

• Establishing and characterising (e.g., genotyping) mouse lines

40

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

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

BSc in Biological Science or related

Essential

MSc in Biological Science or related

Desirable

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Animal handling, PIL holder

Essential

Competency on molecular and cell biology methodologies

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Colony maintenance

Essential

Animal handling, PIL holder

Essential

Genotyping

Essential

Molecular biology

Essential

Record keeping

Essential

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Good organisational and time management skills

Essential

Good communication skills, both written and verbal

Essential

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

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

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

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

Food, Microbiome and Health

Group Details

The Beraza lab is a dynamic research group that includes two postdoctoral researchers, one project scientist, two PhD students as well as several undergraduate and international visiting students. The Beraza Lab at the Quadram institute is focused on defining the mechanisms mediating the gut-microbiome-liver axis communication during health and disease.
 

Living in Norfolk

• Visit Norfolk
• Schools in Norfolk
• Childcare in Norfolk

Project Scientist

Applications are invited for a Project Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Naiara Beraza in the Food, Microbiome, and Health programme at Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB), based in Norwich, UK in a FAPESP-MRC funded collaboration with the groups of Patrick Varga-Weisz (University of Essex), Radu Zabet (Queen Mary University, London) and Marco Vinolo (UNICAMP, Brazil).

Background:

The gut microbiota normally supports nutrition and immunity but can also underlie inflammatory processes, such as observed in colitis. Chronic inflammation can predispose to cancer. In this international and collaborative project, funded by a grant from the Medical Research Council, we investigate gene-regulatory mechanisms of sex-dependent gene expression in the intestine in relation to gut microbiota, inflammation and cancer.

The role:

The post holder is expected to provide expertise and support in:
• Establishing and characterising (e.g., genotyping) mouse lines;
• Harvest tissue for analysis;
• Extracting cells, nuclei, chromatin and nucleic acids from tissue for analysis;
• Contribute to data collection;
• Training and supervision of staff and students in above work.

The candidate will also have access to training opportunities within the Norwich Research Park and the collaborative network to develop their laboratory and analytical skills.

The ideal candidate:

The ideal candidate will have competency and experience in animal handling and in vivo experiments, and holds a Home Office Personal License or equivalent.

The post holder will have basic competency on molecular and cell biology methodologies (such as nucleic acid and protein extraction and further analysis by PCR, qPCR, immunoblotting, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and microscopy). They will also have experience in the preparation of manuscripts and supervising students.

Experience in excellent record keeping and time management skills are critical.

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £28,890 to £35,670 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This post can be taken as a full-time post for a period of 18 months or a part-time (0.5 FTE) post for a period of three years. 

Please note, this post does not meet UKVI requirements to provide visa sponsorship.

We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applications from all sectors of society. The Institute values of Respect, Innovation, Collaboration and Excellence are at the heart of all we do, and we expect 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. (https://quadram.ac.uk/).

The closing date for applications will be 7 October 2026.

The Quadram Institute Bioscience is a registered charity (No. 1058499) and is an Equal Opportunities Employer.