We’re looking a Research Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Evelien Adriaenssens in the Gut Microbes and Health Programme.

The Adriaenssens group is a vibrant and collaborative research group looking into all things phage. We use culture-dependent and independent approaches to understand the role of bacteriophages as part of the human gut microbiome working both with single phage-host pairs and complex microbial communities. We have a strong interest in the use of bacteriophages as biocontrol agents.

The role

As the Research Scientist on the BBSRC-funded project “Bacteriophages for Gut Health”, the post holder will contribute to the delivery of all work packages of the grant, including the investigation of faecal phage communities from infants and adults using metagenomics, their application to organoids, exploring cellular responses and synthesising the results for future applications in phage therapy. The post holder will be involved in viromics, phage culturing, organoid model experiments and biomarker assessments, and will liaise with other Research Scientists on the project to share expertise, perform experiments together and to deliver project milestones. Key relationships will be developed with members of the Juge and Hall Groups at QIB, co-investigators on the project.

The Research Scientist will help organise and attend project meetings and contribute to communication and dissemination of results, including presentation of findings at scientific conferences and the publication of papers. The post holder will be given the opportunity to enrol in training courses related to bioinformatics, with career development and will assist in the daily supervision of undergraduate and/or postgraduate students at QIB.

The ideal candidate

The ideal candidate will hold a PhD in Microbiology, Biotechnology, Bioscience Engineering or a related Life Science subject, and will be passionate about Bacteriophages and investigating their role in the gut microbiome. The successful applicant will need to be available to start from the 1 November 2022.

The responsibilities are split between laboratory work in phage biology, viromics, organoid experimentation and dry lab work in bioinformatics, meaning we are looking for a flexible individual willing to learn a wide range of techniques. Previous experience in viromics or metagenomics is desirable. Applicants with limited experience in human tissue culturing or bioinformatics will be considered, as these experiments are collaborative with other Research Scientists on the project. Good communications skills and the ability to coordinate with team members to deliver objectives are essential.

Additional information

Salary on appointment will be within the range £33,050 to £40,750 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time post for a contract of 3 years. The successful applicant will be available to start from the 1^st of November 2022.

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 1004305.

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 will be 18th August 2022.

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