Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist to work on a diet and healthy ageing research project in the Food Innovation and Health Programme at the Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB).

Background:

We seek to recruit a postdoctoral scientist to work on an exciting collaborative project funded through the EU Joint Programming Initiative Healthy Diet for a Healthy Lifestyle programme (Gut and blood microbiomics for studying the effect of a polyphenol-rich dietary pattern on intestinal permeability in the elderly – MaPLE). The project is investigating whether a polyphenol-enriched diet can prevent and/or reduce the high gut permeability (leaky guts) phenotype that is observed in the elderly and which is thought to contribute to systemic low-grade inflammation (‘inflammaging’). The project is a collaboration between QIB, the University of Milan and the University of Barcelona.

The role:

The successful applicant will join Dr Paul Kroon’s group at the Quadram Institute and will also collaborate with Professors Arjan Narbad (gut microbial ecology) and Alastair Watson (gut biology). They will be expected to undertake experimental research, write progress reports and draft manuscripts for publication, stay abreast of relevant literature and contribute at MaPLE consortium meetings.

The post-holder will measure a range of relevant biomarkers of gut permeability and of gut microbiota structure and function using samples from elderly participants who took part in a human dietary intervention study. In addition, they will undertake experiments to investigate the mechanisms by which polyphenol-rich diets can improve gut barrier function, and seek to determine whether the changes are a direct effect of the polyphenols on the gut mucosa, or occur via polyphenol-induced changes in gut microbiota structure / function.

The ideal candidate:

Applicants should have a PhD in biology/biochemistry/immunology/molecular biology and have experience in several biochemical / immunological / physiological techniques including qRT-PCR, ELISAs, westerns, immunohistochemistry and of working with experimental animals, tissue samples and cultured cell models. Applicants must hold a current UK Home Office personal licence for working with experimental animals. Experience in assessment of gut barrier function and use of 16S rRNA profiling methods for assessing microbiota structure is desirable but not essential.

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £31,250 to £38,100 per annum depending on qualifications and experience.  This post is for a contract of 12 months.

Further information and details of how to apply can be found here, or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450462 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk  quoting reference 1003400.

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.

The closing date for applications is Thursday 31^st May 2018. Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy at an earlier date. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Dr Kroon to discuss the project/post and submit an application well before the deadline to avoid disappointment.