Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist to join the Campylobacter group at the Quadram Institute in Norwich, UK.

This project is part of a wider strategic research programme – Microbes in the Food Chain – which aims to understand the transmission of bacteria through the food chain and to exploit new technologies to improve clinical and public health microbiology; in particular this project is aligned to the development of sequence based tools for molecular epidemiology and bacterial identification.

The successful applicant will be supervised directly by Professor John Wain and will focus on understanding the chemical composition of bacterial biomass when grown in different conditions. This will allow us to understand the metabolic basis of survival and so define strain differences in pathogens v non- pathogens. The data will be used directly by scientists generating genome scale metabolic models for Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli.

The successful candidate will be the only chemist in a multi-disciplinary team and will be expected to evaluate, develop and establish analytical assays using chromatography and mass spectrometry.   They will also occasionally present research findings at project meetings, scientific conferences and outreach/training events. The post-holder will also contribute to laboratory management, such as participating in group meetings and supervising visitors to the laboratory.

Candidates should have a PhD in a relevant subject (e.g. Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology), and experience of working in biochemical analysis. They should be able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and have a track record in scientific writing. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills will be essential.

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £31,250 to £38,100 per annum depending on qualifications and experience.

This is a full time post initially for a contract of 48 months, or until 31st March 2022, whichever comes first, with the possibility of extension dependent on availability of follow-on funding. We also welcome applications from candidates seeking job-share, part-time or other flexible working arrangements.

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 1003517.

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 at the forefront of a new era in food and health research. Its mission is to understand how food and the gut microbiota are linked to the promotion of health and the prevention of disease. A partnership between Quadram Institute Bioscience (formerly the Institute of Food Research), the University of East Anglia, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and BBSRC, it brings together scientists and clinicians in a new state-of-the-art building opening in 2018. The Quadram Institute is based on the Norwich Research Park, one of Europe’s largest centres of life sciences and home of the John Innes Centre and The Earlham Institute.