The Role
Within the Next Generation Chemistry theme and in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, one of the aims is to realise the full potential of biological and chemical methods to access “microbial dark matter” by using new culture methods and culture independent (e.g. robotics, direct cloning) methods. This will exploit sensitive and scalable analytical methods for identifying new and known natural products, characterise the biosynthetic pathways of these natural products through chemical biology methods and exploit their products in synthetic and chemical biology. Based on this approach we have already developed methods that allow the generation and/or understanding of natural products and their analogues as antimicrobials [see Cell 2018, 175, 1045-1058, ACS Chem. Biol. 2018, 13, 801–811, Molecular Cell 2018, 72, 263–274].
Within this theme, you will expand on these discoveries to explore natural products and the systems that generate them as functional tools and products. In particular, we will explore novel methods for identifying natural products and exploiting both them and the gene clusters that create them.
The project is a collaboration with the University of Newcastle, the University of Oxford and other themes at the Franklin as well as other potential industrial and academic collaborators and experts in the UK and beyond. The post, which is for 3 years in the first instance, reports to the Franklin’s Theme Lead for Chemistry, as well as key academic collaborators and will work alongside other researchers in the Franklin and at partner university institutes including at the University of Oxford (where some groups are jointly based).
About you
Candidates must hold a post-graduate qualification/PhD (or equivalent experience) in Chemistry, Biochemistry or Chemical Biology, Biology, Biomolecular Science, or related subjects. We are looking for candidates with a demonstrated aptitude for biosynthetic pathway elucidation, experience in microbiological methods, especially culture methods and associated genetic analyses, as well as experience with project management.
In return we offer:
- 25 days holidays + site closure for Christmas (in addition to your allowance)
- Hybrid working
- Generous pension scheme (employer’s contribution currently up to 18%)
- Training and development opportunities for staff at all levels
- Bus pass discount scheme
- Access to employee discount platform via Perkbox (discounts/wellbeing/Employee Assistance/counselling)
- Occupational Health services
- Health cash plan
- Access to wellbeing resources through Thrive Subsidised on-site canteen
- Free on-site parking
- Campus location in beautiful countryside with social and sports clubs open to staff
- Before submitting your application please ensure you read the Job Information Pack for full details of this role by clicking on the attachment at the bottom of this page.
About us: The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a new national Research Centre, funded by the UK government through UK Research and Innovation, dedicated to bringing about transformative changes in life science through interdisciplinary research and technology.
Location: The Franklin is based in Harwell Campus, UK’s innovation hub and well-established as one of the leading science and innovation campuses in Europe.
At the Rosalind Franklin Institute we welcome applications from all around the world!
Closing date: Sunday 23rd April 2023
Applicants should refer to our Candidate Privacy Policy (
https://www.rfi.ac.uk/opportunities/candidate-privacy-policy/).
Area Scientific
Location Harwell
Type of Post Full Time
Period of appointment 3 years' fixed term contract
Salary £33,500 - 41,000 per annum
Closing Date 23/04/2023
Ref No 10272
Documents:
Job Pack 10272 (
https://opportunities.rfi.ac.uk/wd/plsql/wd_portal.view_blob?p_web_site_id=6400&p_web_page_id=520281&p_type=JOBDOC&p_id=434628&p_show=N)
