We’re looking for a Research Assistant to join our Microbes in the Food Chain programme.

This programme connects multiple research groups with a common aim of exploring the diversity of pathogenic bacteria present within the food chain and to improve understanding of how these pathogens can successfully survive and pose a food safety threat.

This post will join a large team which enjoys new state of the art facilities for bacteriology and genomics, housed in a new purpose-built building. Work will focus on Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria although not exclusively.

The strategic goal of the work is to understand bacterial behaviour in relevant conditions to the food chain to develop improved interventions that prevent bacterial survival and the development of antimicrobial resistance.

The role

This post represents an exciting opportunity to join a newly established programme within the Quadram Institute and to be part of a stimulating, multidisciplinary environment. Candidates will be able to experience a range of research opportunities including the phenotyping of isolates for antimicrobial resistance, the use of laboratory evolution experiments and genome sequencing to help understand the basis for microbial survival in the food chain.

The ideal candidate

Candidates are expected to have a degree in Microbiology or a similar discipline, with experience in handling pathogenic microorganisms and extracting nucleic acids. Some experience of working with biofilms or microscopy is desirable.

Additional information

Salary on appointment will be within the range £26,600 to £32,800 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time post for a contract of 12 months.

Find out further information and details of how to apply or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450462 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1004313.

If you have any specific questions about the post please contact Matt Gilmour (Matthew.Gilmour@quadram.ac.uk, 17th-29th August) or Rob Kingsley (Rob.Kingsley@quadram.ac.uk, 5th-16th August).

Interviews will be held on 9^th September 2022.

This role does not meet the full salary requirements set by UKVI to allow for visa sponsorship. However, some individuals may still be eligible for visa sponsorship depending on their personal circumstances.  If you require visa sponsorship,  find out if you qualify before applying. Please note, the occupation code for this role is 2112, which is on the shortage occupation list.

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 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.

 The closing date for applications is 25 August 2022

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