An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Wilkinson Group at the John Innes Centre, working in collaboration with the Hutchings lab, on a project titled: Manipulating two-component systems to activate cryptic antibiotic pathways in filamentous actinomycete bacteria.
About the John Innes Centre:
The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally.
Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre.
About the Wilkinson Group:
We are an inter-disciplinary team of chemists, biochemists and microbiologists who work on the discovery, biosynthesis, and biosynthetic engineering of microbial natural products. We focus on anti-infective molecules and additionally study their molecular targets & mechanisms of action, and the immunity mechanisms employed by their producer organisms.
The role:
Actinomycete bacteria make numerous specialised metabolites (SMs), many of which have pharmaceutical and agrochemical potential. Our proposal focuses on using newly discovered genetic methods for unlocking the biosynthesis of the estimated 90% of their SMs that are genome encoded but not produced under laboratory conditions.
Actinomycete SMs already account for 50% of all known antibiotics and genome sequencing has indicated there are many more waiting to be discovered.
The Postdoctoral Researcher will be responsible for accessing the hidden chemical potential of unique Streptomyces species, deciphering the resulting natural products chemistry, and delineating their biosynthesis.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in natural products chemical biology and Streptomyces microbiology and will have the opportunity to extend them into areas of microbial molecular genetics, protein biochemistry and structural biology.
The ideal candidate:
You will have a PhD in Chemical Biology with in-depth knowledge of bacterial natural products chemistry and biology, especially natural product isolation and structure elucidation, and of biosynthesis and microbiology (ideally working with Streptomyces and related actinomycetes).
You will have a proven ability to perform research and develop novel ideas in natural products chemical biology. Experience of protein biochemistry would be beneficial. Skills in bioinformatics and a proven record in scientific writing are highly desirable.
Additional information:
For further information and details of how to apply, please visit our website
http://jobs.jic.ac.uk or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or
[email protected] quoting reference 1004595. This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options.
We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity. As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.
The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
