Research Scientist (Microbiology)

Applications Close: 13 May 2019

Salary: £31,250 - £38,100 depending on qualifications and experience

Contract Length: 12 months

Applications are invited for a Research Scientist to work on a project in the groups of Prof. Arjan Narbad and Dr Fred Warren, at Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB), based in Norwich, UK.

Background:

The Research Scientist will work on an exciting new EIT Food (https://www.eitfood.eu/) funded industry collaboration ‘SEAFEED’ investigating the effects of seaweed bioactives on the microbiome. The project will be based at the Quadram Institute Biosciences (QIB), which is a new research institute at the forefront of research into links between diet, gut and microbiome, recently relocated into a new £80 million building. The project is a collaboration between QIB, Matis (Iceland) and University of Helsinki (Finland).

The role:

Seaweed biomass is a promising, abundant but underutilised resource for industrial bioconversions. The overall aim of the SEAFEED project is to develop microbes and anaerobic microbial processes applying marine microalgae feedstock for production of health promoting bioactive ingredients.

The post holder will perform in vitro model colon fermentations with microalgae-based extracts with different compositions. The aim will be to identify potential bioactives that can modulate the gut microbiome for subsequent use as animal feed additives. The work will involve DNA based molecular profiling and plate count for analysis of microbiome composition, as well as metabolomic analysis of the fermentation media.

The ideal candidate:

The ideal candidate will be highly enthusiastic with a strong interest in microbiome science and will possess either a degree or PhD in microbiology or Biological Sciences and have practical experience working in this area. Experience of using in vitro fermentation systems, and 16S based DNA sequencing and/or metabolomics would be desirable.

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, with the possibility of an additional year depending on funding.

We 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 1003676.

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, 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. 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.

The closing date for applications will be 13 May 2019.

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

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