http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/?unit=u00205&format=rss

Applications are invited for a post-doctoral research associate in Presymbiotic Signalling to work with Prof Uta Paszkowski at the Crop Science Centre, starting between 1 January and 1 February 2024. The beneficial interaction of plants with endomycorrhizal fungi commences via mutual recognition in the rhizosphere. We recently identified a half-size ABCG transporter protein that conditions fungal invasion of the host root. Preliminary data suggest that the transproter is involved with modulating critical root exudates. However, as half-size ABCG transporters are known to homo- or heterodimerise, this project seeks to identify the transport partner or complex that mediates exudate release, and to determine its transport substrate. The projected work will involve biochemical and genetic approaches for transport partner identification and metabolomics to determine the bioactive exudate component. Applicants must have a solid background in plant biochemistry; available knowledge in plant metabolism and plant molecular genetics would be advantageous. To apply, please email a CV, publications list, a CHRIS/6 (parts I and III only) and the names and contact details (including email addresses) of 3 referees to Prof Paszkowski at: up220@cam.ac.uk. More information and forms can be found at: http://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/jobs/index.html

The closing date for applications is 29 October 2023.

This appointment is subject to a health assessment. Whether an outcome is satisfactory will be determined by the University. The University values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. Please quote the job reference in all correspondence.

If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date, you should consider your application to be unsuccessful.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date, you should consider your application to be unsuccessful.

Please quote reference PD38657 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Applications are invited for a laboratory technician to support the research work in Prof Uta Paszkowski 's laboratory, starting as soon as possible. This is an exciting opportunity for somebody passionate about scientific research to join a vibrant and friendly team of researchers and technicians in the Crop Science Centre at the University of Cambridge and work in a state-of-the-art laboratory.

The Crop Science Centre opened in October 2020 and benefits from the diverse skills and expertise of the University of Cambridge and NIAB, providing an environment for research excellence in crops, with the drive and expertise for scientific translation to address real-world problems. About 50 staff and students are located at the Centre, distributed in between three established research groups and three fellows starting new research programs.

The role holder will report to Prof Paszkowski and will have experience in management, organisation and maintenance of large volumes of materials and/or databases with hands-on expertise in standard molecular biological techniques (PCR, cloning, DNA/RNA extraction). The post demands an ability for systematic, organised working, and sufficient experience to appropriately prioritise tasks. The successful candidate will contribute to overall technical support for the smooth running of research activities across the Paszkowski group.

The new hire will have the ability to work independently once trained, but will also need good communication and interpersonal skills, and be a strong team player, well integrating with the wider team of laboratory technicians.

This is a full time position.

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be directed to Prof Uta Paszkowski (up220@cam.ac.uk)

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date, you should consider your application to be unsuccessful.

Please quote reference PD38667 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The Cambridge University Herbarium is one of the largest archives of botanical diversity in the UK. It holds an estimated 1.1M specimens from all over the world and represents over 300 years of natural history recording, with the oldest specimen dating to 1703. The Herbarium is embedded within the Department of Plant Sciences and has a team of 3 staff including a Curator, as well as a dedicated team of volunteers. In recognition of the extraordinary cultural, scientific, and historical importance of the Herbarium, it was awarded Designation Status by the Arts Council England in 2022. 

Numerous academic departments currently engage in collections-based botanical science across many frontiers of scientific discovery, both internal and external. The Herbarium primarily seeks to support these research activities both in Cambridge and further afield but its ability to do so is limited by the fact that only about 0.21% of the collection is imaged and only a fraction of that is fully databased. We are now moving to a new vision of digitization, which involves collaborating with online communities to transcribe and curate specimen data and making better use of established online image repositories to make digitized images globally available.

This new Digital Engagement Coordinator role is vital for the next phase of digitization, and is responsible for specimen imaging, database entry, managing online volunteers, the design of modules of images for curation, liaising with Zooniverse, and evaluating data derived from online volunteer teams. The coordinator will lead on collaborating with platforms such as GBIF and JStor to host our digitized collections and metadata. Measurable outcomes will include the number of fully databased images, the number of hosted imaged specimens, and statistics on their access and subsequent utilisation.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD38618 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The Cambridge University Herbarium is one of the largest archives of botanical diversity in the UK. It holds an estimated 1.1M specimens from all over the world and represents over 300 years of natural history recording, with the oldest specimen dating to 1703. The Herbarium is embedded within the Department of Plant Sciences and has a team of 3 staff including a Curator, as well as a dedicated team of volunteers. In recognition of the extraordinary cultural, scientific, and historical importance of the Herbarium, it was awarded Designation Status by the Arts Council England in 2022. Numerous academic departments currently engage in collections-based botanical science across many frontiers of scientific discovery, both internal and external.

We are recruiting for a Public Engagement Coordinator to lead on the development and delivery of the Herbarium's outreach and public engagement programmes, ensuring that our local and regional communities and stakeholders are served and supported to a high standard. The coordinator will also contribute to welcoming the public to the Herbarium, and ensure visitor and staff safety and security, as well as the security of our collections. The overarching purpose of the new role is to enhance our outreach and engagement with local and regional communities, with quantitatively and qualitatively measurable impact on existing and new audiences.

The Herbarium primarily seeks to support all research and teaching activities both in Cambridge and further afield but is looking to develop its external programmes especially with respect to the local and regional public and global online communities. The Herbarium is situated in state-of-the-art facilities within the newly built Sainsbury Laboratory on the site of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. But the building and consequently the Herbarium is largely closed to members of the public, and so we must develop new and innovative ways to reach beyond our confinements to reach a variety of local and regional audiences, generally in collaboration with other service providers. This new role of Public Engagement Coordinator seeks to deliver this essential work.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD38617 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join an international team in the Crop Science Centre, North West Cambridge. The applicant must be able to start in October 2023.

The project will aim to deploy an mRNA vaccine-like approach to overcome genetic intractability in parasitic animals. We will focus on plant-parasitic nematodes because they threaten global food security, but expect this approach could be a general solution to genetic intractability in the life sciences.

Specific experience required:

PhD in Plant Pathology; Research on plant parasitic nematodes; Essential molecular biology techniques of plant pathology; Genomics and transcriptomics of fungal plant pathogens; Skilled in the use of programming languages including R and Matlab.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available to 31 December 2025 in the first instance

Please ensure that you outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role on the online Application form. Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date you should consider your application to be unsuccessful. Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

If you haven't heard from us by the w/s Mon 2nd October, we have decided not to proceed with your application.

Please quote reference PD38372 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

We invite applications for a Senior Laboratory Technician to join the Plant-Parasite Interactions group at the University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences. The group, run by Dr Sebastian Eves-van den Akker, is proudly international, diverse, and welcoming.

https://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/research/groups/plant-parasitepathogen-interactions The successful applicant will work in the brand new and vibrant Crop Science Centre: a flagship initiative designed to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture. The post is initially for 3 years, with a flexible start date. Funding is available for a possible extension thereafter.

Global food security is one of the defining challenges of our generation. The overarching theme of the group is to understand fundamental questions in host:parasite biology in sufficient detail to identify sustainable routes to their control. We primarily focus on plant-parasitic nematodes because: i) they are an understudied threat to food security in developed and developing countries, and ii) underlying this threat is a wealth of fascinating biology that until very recently has been largely unexplorable.

To achieve this aim, the group needs additional technical support to ensure the smooth running of research activities. The successful applicant will therefore work closely with other members of the team, including other support staff, to help deliver a variety of research projects. The successful applicant will be involved in a variety of tasks, including the maintenance of the underpinning biological resources (i.e. plants and their parasitic nematodes), infections trials, and general wet-lab/molecular biology approaches.

We strongly believe that technical support is critical for the success of research and we are committed to support recognition and development of the technical staff. We are seeking to appoint an individual with strong organisational and communication skills, who takes pride in their job and the success of the team as a whole. The successful candidate must have excellent attention to details and should have practical experience of specialised laboratory activities and equipment as well as specialist knowledge of laboratory processes.

Informal enquiries are welcomed, direct to Sebastian (se389@cam.ac.uk).

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

If you haven't heard from us by the w/s Mon 2nd October, we have decided not to proceed with your application.

Please quote reference PD38300 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

We seek a postdoc Research Associate with proven experience in the application of AI / computer vision approaches to forest ecology, on a project that aims to map tropical rainforest species as part of ongoing efforts to restore a 100,000 hectare fragment of degraded forest in Indonesia. Specifically, the researcher will work on the identification of tree species using multispectral drone imagery collected over permanent plots.

The postdoc Research Associate must have published at least one paper in a peer-reviewed journal that presents a novel method for segmenting tree crowns in dense tropical forests and must have an advanced understanding of approaches needed to recognize species using multispectral and/or hyperspectral data.

The postdoc Research Associate will work with a small team of Indonesian researchers who are in the process of collecting field and drone data with which to train AI algorithms. Experience of scientific research in Indonesia would be an advantage, and a willingness to join an international collaboration aimed at delivering practical solutions to the biodiversity crisis.

Appointment as Research Associate is dependent on having a PhD, including those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD (in which case appointment will initially be made at Research Assistant and amended to Research Associate when the PhD is awarded).

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 12 months in the first instance.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD38179 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Applications are invited for a Senior Research Assistant with a background in plant molecular biology and genetics, whose primary role will be to enable the successful operation of research projects and the smooth running of the projects for Prof. Giles Oldroyd's research team at the Crop Science Centre within the Department of Plant Sciences. This is an exciting opportunity for somebody enthusiastic to facilitate and support the research ongoing within the group, to join a team of vibrant and friendly group of researchers and technicians and work in a state-of- the-art laboratory. The Crop Science Centre opened in October 2020 and is part of the Department of Plant Sciences. It benefits from the diverse skills and expertise of the University of Cambridge and NIAB, providing an environment for research excellence in crops, with the drive and expertise for scientific translation to address real-world problems. Over 60 staff and students are located at the Centre, distributed in between three established research groups and three fellows starting new research programs. The Senior Research Assistant will work collaboratively alongside with a group of research assistants, under the management of CSC Platform Manager and be required to take responsibility for the laboratory management tasks specific to Prof. Oldroyd's research team. This includes the induction and training of prospective lab members, the procurement of group consumables, managing and allocating lab spaces for the Oldroyd group members and maintaining collections of genetic materials. The postholder will also contribute to ensuring a safe working environment by preparing standard operating procedures, risk assessments and ensuring compliance with local health and safety rules. The postholder will finally contribute to the research programme of the Oldroyd group by supporting the experimental work of students and postdocs associated with molecular biology protocols (cloning, RNA and DNA extractions, expression analysis), executing genetics protocols and tasks (genotyping, Taqman assays, plant husbandry, crosses) and performing basic microscopy and histological tasks.

We are seeking to appoint an individual with strong organisational and communication skills, who takes pride on their job and is a team player. The successful candidate must have excellent attention to details and should have practical experience of specialised laboratory activities and excellent research background. Experience in laboratory management and providing Laboratory H&S training would be also desirable.

The role holder will work as part of a wider team of laboratory technicians and willingness to help when demands are high and being a strong team player is essential. The role holder will also need good communication and interpersonal skills. The Crop Science Centre offer a positive and inclusive working environment with a generous annual leave entitlement and free parking on site. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be directed to Dr Eleni Soumpourou(es771@cam.ac.uk

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4.5 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please quote reference PD38152 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

Due to a high number of applications, if you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, your application has not been considered for the next step within the process.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Applications are invited for Laboratory Assistants with a background in plant molecular biology and genetics, whose primary role will be to support the research projects and contribute to the smooth running of the projects for Prof. Giles Oldroyd's research team at the Crop Science Centre within the Department of Plant Sciences. This is an exciting opportunity for somebody enthusiastic to support the ongoing research within the group, to join a team of vibrant and friendly group of researchers and technicians and work in a state-of- the-art laboratory. The Crop Science Centre opened in October 2020 and is part of the Department of Plant Sciences. It benefits from the diverse skills and expertise of the University of Cambridge and NIAB, providing an environment for research excellence in crops, with the drive and expertise for scientific translation to address real-world problems. Over 60 staff and students are located at the Centre, distributed in between three established research groups and three fellows starting new research programs.

The laboratory research assistant will work closely with a group of other technicians under the management of the CSC Platform Manager to provide laboratory support for the research programme of the Oldroyd group. The postholder will contribute to the experimental work of students and postdocs associated with molecular biology protocols (cloning, RNA and DNA extractions, expression analysis) microscopy, histology, tissue culture, supporting the genetics platform (genotyping, sequencing analysis, plant husbandry and plant crosses) and supporting the smooth run of the CSC labs.

We are seeking to appoint two individuals with strong organisational and communication skills, who take pride on their job and are team players. The successful candidate must have excellent attention to details and should have practical experience of specialised laboratory activities and excellent research background.

The role holders will work as part of a wider team of laboratory technicians and willingness to help when demands are high and being a strong team player is essential. They will also need good communication and interpersonal skills. The Crop Science Centre offer a positive and inclusive working environment with a generous annual leave entitlement and free parking on site. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be directed to Dr Eleni Soumpourou(es771@cam.ac.uk).

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4.5 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please quote reference PD38140 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The Department of Plant Sciences is seeking to appoint a technician to carry out routine teaching and media/equipment preparation in order to support the effective delivery of teaching practicals for the Natural Sciences Tripos.

The role-holder will work within a small team of technicians. Day to day tasks for the successful candidate will include carrying out routine biological and chemical assays, maintaining the organisation of incubators, monitoring the condition of refrigerators/freezers and stocks, and ensuring all safety regulations and codes of practice are implemented effectively.

They will have excellent communication skills in order to assist technicians and students in safe useage of equipment and apparatus and queries that arise during practicals. They will also assist with the growth of plant material required for teaching purposes.

The University offers a dynamic working environment with benefits including pension scheme, generous annual leave allowance, on site parking and childcare schemes.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date you should consider your application to be unsuccessful.

Please quote reference PD38085 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

We seek an experienced water engineer or hydrologist with an understanding of hydrological modelling and highly-developed interpersonal skills to join a multi-disciplinary team in the University of Cambridge's Centre for Landscape Regeneration (CLR).

The CLR seeks to understand the functioning of the whole fenland water landscape by the integration of information from its many parts, to provide a basis for a radically different water management programme to address greenhouse gas emission and biodiversity loss, while maintaining so far as possible food production in the face of climate change. This new post is being created in response to the report of DEFRA's Lowland Peat Taskforce, 2023.

We are looking for a specialist engineer/hydrologist to advance knowledge of how water currently moves through the drained fen landscape and evaluate the viability of innovative alternative systems for capturing and storing water to allow for higher water tables and secure reliable water supplies for agriculture and biodiversity.

You will work collaboratively with hydrologists, engineers and other professionals from the Environment Agency, Anglian Water, Water Resources East, Internal Drainage Boards, DEFRA, Natural England, NFU and farmers, among others, both in the Fens and in other parts of the UK and Northern Europe to understand alternative models of water management within drained landscapes. You will be the CLR's main point of contact with other academic and practical hydrological projects in the Fens, helping to co-ordinate our activities.

You will benefit from immersion in the depth and breadth of the CLR research team, which includes systems engineers, soil scientists, chemists, computer scientists, conservationists and social scientists. In particular, you will work with hydrologists working on field-scale water-flow and water-table manipulation through peat and degraded peat soils, and the effects of this on decomposition, GHG emissions (CO2 and CH4) and water quality, and with systems engineers, seeking to characterise the whole system. You will contribute information on the practical and economic feasibility of different water-management regimes to the CLR biodiversity and landscape-scenario modelling teams.

This post is offered full-time, but enquiries are welcome from applicants seeking to work slightly less than full-time. Applications from individuals who are interested in secondment from a current post in the water engineering industry are welcome.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD35622 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The Department of Plant Sciences is seeking to appoint a technician to carry out experimental work and support activities in the Algal Innovation Centre (AIC). The role holder is responsible to the director and manager of the AIC and will carry out experimental work in close collaboration with academic researchers and industry partners who use this facility.

The successful candidate will lead interactions with all AIC users, as well as organise, and conduct experiments in the AIC according to experiment priority and user needs. This will involve running and maintenance of photobioreactors to produce microalgae, using microscopy/cell counters/flow cytometry to determine health of culture, processing the biomass with membrane harvester and centrifugation, testing chemical qualities of biomass generated by using analytical equipment.

Day to day tasks include proactively adopting best practices for optimal growth and maintenance of algae cultures, recording data and providing results, to ensure that project deliverables and milestones are met. As the AIC is a hub for education and outreach, the successful candidate will also present, demonstrate and provide training in routine techniques and procedures that are carried out in the AIC following established protocols.

The role will require ability to set up experiments independently with due care and attention. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring strict safety procedures and safety checks are followed by all AIC users.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD37853 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Plant Sciences is an internationally important department within the University of Cambridge, with diverse research interests including global food security, sustainable bioeconomy and the environment. It is a world-class environment for research and teaching, and a thriving, friendly and dynamic community of staff and students, involved in a wide range of successful collaborations at departmental, university and international levels.

We wish to recruit an enthusiastic, self-motivated and confident IT Service Manager. This will be a hands-on role requiring depth and breadth of technical skills and experience, ideally gained in a similar HE environment with exposure to administration, teaching and research functions. Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills are essential in order to build and manage a small team of IT staff, and to create an excellent and confidence-inspiring user support service. The role-holder will spend time both on the Downing Site in central Cambridge and at our Crop Science Centre on Huntingdon Road, which opened in 2020.

The University Information Services department provides a high level of core services that will form the fundamental platform upon which this role will build departmental services. The role is well supported by the department, the School IT team, and colleagues in similar roles within other departments. A wide range of training and personal and career development opportunities is available. This is a wonderful, rich and rewarding environment in which to grow. If you have the technical skills to deliver a capable and resilient IT service, and the personality and drive to create an outstanding support culture, please do apply, we'll be delighted to hear from you. Some Department infrastructure is Linux-based. While we have initiated the process to move away from this, Linux knowledge and experience would be advantageous.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. The University offers a range of benefits for staff including pension scheme, hybrid working opportunities, University nurseries and on-site parking. Salary uplift up to £49,794 may be possible for an exceptional candidate.

Previous applicants need not re-apply.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date you should consider your application to be unsuccessful.

Please quote reference PD37851 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

A position is open for a Postdoc Research Associate in developing translational synthetic strategies to control recombination, in the Henderson Group in the Department of Plant Sciences. This is a collaborative project with the University of Cambridge and Bayer Biosciences.

Meiosis and recombination are critical processes that underlie crop breeding and improvement strategies by providing avenues to combine variation from different strains. However, there are major limitations on recombination levels and distribution that can slow or hinder crop improvement. For example, most plant species show pronounced regions of recombination suppression surrounding the centromeres that extend far into the chromosome arms. During breeding, recombination suppression can in these regions severely limits opportunities to combine variation in these regions and can result in linkage drag between deleterious alleles and beneficial target loci of choice limiting crop improvement. Therefore, technologies are urgently required to control the level and distribution of recombination in crop genomes to accelerate genetic improvement in the face of climate change.

This project will involve development of novel technologies, based around the dCas9 platform, to tether recombination and chromatin effectors in plant genomes. The strategic aim is to locally create recombination hotspots and thereby deliver tools to unlock recombination in previously repressed regions of crop chromosomes.

The candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. Henderson at the University of Cambridge to develop proof-of-principle approaches in the model plant Arabidopsis. In collaboration with industrial partner scientists, they will work to translate these approaches into key crop species, including maize.

This project will provide the post-holder with experience in cutting-edge functional genomic approaches using mutated nucleases to control recombination. Training will be provided in genetics, genomics and crop sciences. The project will involve extensive interactions and visits with industry partner researchers providing additional training in plant agricultural bioscience.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD37659 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The Department of Plant Sciences is seeking to appoint a technician to provide technical support for research activity in order to ensure the smooth running of the laboratory.

Main responsibilities and duties

Provide support for research projects. Design, develop and modify experimental protocols and techniques from general verbal instructions, prepare and collate results for interpretation by self and others, use results to make changes to experiments.

Provide technical advice to research students and researchers in the design of experiments, sample analysis. Advise on solutions, sample preparation analysis methods that could be used, taking into account time and financial constraints.

Demonstrate and provide training in routine cell culture, molecular biological techniques and procedures following established protocols. Record and interpret data and present the findings. Provide technical advice on the design of experiments.

Liaise with the departmental safety officer to ensure codes of practice and relevant safety regulations are implemented and observed within the research laboratory. Carry out risk assessments.

Maintenance and running of the research laboratory. Instruct research students in the correct application, use and maintenance of equipment, laboratory procedures (e.g. correct safety procedures in handling research equipment) and routine experimental techniques. Ensure the laboratory has adequate stocks of sterile media, disposables and equipment.

Responsibility for the maintenance and repair of equipment. When unable to repair equipment, liaise with relevant companies and oversee repair or replacement.

Provide guidance to staff, researchers and students on experimental and analysis techniques, introduce new staff and researchers to health and safety procedures within the laboratory.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD37538 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Applications are invited for an Associate Professor post in Synthetic Biology/Engineering Biology, available from April 2024.

Key responsibilities include teaching undergraduates, conducting world-leading research, advising postgraduate students and post-doctoral workers, and other duties associated with academic life. There is the opportunity to become a Fellow of a College.

We welcome excellent candidates who are taking a design-based bioengineering approach within plant biology. We seek candidates who will complement existing strengths in synthetic biology and bioengineering for improved photosynthesis and reduced agricultural inputs. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from candidates who will contribute to teaching and research in plant development. This recruitment is part of a co-ordinated approach with the Department of Biochemistry to grow bioengineering in the School of Biological Sciences and benefits from strong links with the Departments of Engineering and Applied Mathematics.

The Department of Plant Sciences undertakes research and delivers teaching that stretches across the discipline - from ecology and conservation, to physiology, genetics and genomics. Our research vision is to provide solutions to fundamental challenges in three areas: Global Food Security, Growing a Sustainable Bioeconomy, and Protecting the Environment. The post-holder should fit into one of these areas. We recognise the importance of design-based biology and in fact have taken a leading role in developing Synthetic and Engineering Biology in Plant Sciences in the UK. Moreover, the EngBio Interdisciplinary Research Centre brings together experts in this area across the whole University. The successful applicant will therefore join a vibrant bioengineering community.

The focus of the Associate Professor will be to build a world-leading research group, deliver excellent teaching, and to contribute to effective running of the Department. This will include undergraduate lectures, practical classes and small group supervisions. A new MPhil in Crop Sciences is running from 2023. Innovations in teaching methods are actively encouraged. Engagement with mentoring and professional development of staff is expected as part of our inclusive and supportive community. We will support the successful candidate to develop a research programme that complements and reinforces the existing departmental research portfolio.

Candidates must have a relevant PhD and sufficient breadth of knowledge to be able to teach to a high standard. Compelling evidence of excellence in research is required, as is the ability to craft compelling grant applications for future research programmes.

Your application should consist of three components. First, a cover letter that summarises how you would contribute to teaching and research in the Department. Second, your curriculum vitae. This should include a full publication list but also identify your four most significant outputs with a concise narrative that outlines the context for each piece of work and why it is important. We endorse the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and so ask you not to include journal-level metrics in your curriculum vitae. Third, a research proposal of no more than four pages that lays out your vision for your future research programme over the next five years.

Evidence of commitment to addressing gender or ethnic minority underrepresentation and/or support for the progression of women or ethnic minorities is desirable. The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. We particularly welcome applications from women and/or candidates from a BAME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please upload cover letter, CV, publications list and a CHRIS/6.

If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date you should consider your application to be unsuccessful.

Please quote reference PD37430 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Applications are invited for a laboratory technician to support the research work in Prof Uta Paszkowski 's laboratory, starting as soon as possible. This is an exciting opportunity for somebody passionate about scientific research to join a vibrant and friendly team of researchers and technicians in the Crop Science Centre at the University of Cambridge and work in a state-of-the-art laboratory.

The Crop Science Centre opened in October 2020 and benefits from the diverse skills and expertise of the University of Cambridge and NIAB, providing an environment for research excellence in crops, with the drive and expertise for scientific translation to address real-world problems. About 50 staff and students are located at the Centre, distributed in between three established research groups and three fellows starting new research programs.

The role holder will report to Prof Paszkowski and will have experience in management, organisation and maintenance of large volumes of materials and/or databases with hands-on expertise in standard molecular biological techniques (PCR, cloning, DNA/RNA extraction). The post demands an ability for systematic, organised working, and sufficient experience to appropriately prioritise tasks. The successful candidate will contribute to overall technical support for the smooth running of research activities across the Paszkowski group.

The new hire will have the ability to work independently once trained, but will also need good communication and interpersonal skills, and be a strong team player, well integrating with the wider team of laboratory technicians.

This is a full time position.

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be directed to Prof Uta Paszkowski (up220@cam.ac.uk)

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 26 months in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please contact Edelmira Bell (eb788@cam.ac.uk) for further details on the recruitment process.

Please quote reference PD37432 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The Pellegrini Lab (https://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/directory/adam-pellegrini) is recruiting a Research Assistant¿Refining greenhouse gas emission estimates from land use change to inform decarbonization strategies.

The Research Assistant will be responsible for compiling and contrasting different methods used for estimating emissions arising from land use. The focus will be on characterizing emissions from common practices in forestry, agriculture (croplands and pastures), and resource extraction. This includes but is not limited to datasets and model structures of life-cycle analyses, ecosystem carbon estimates, and commodity trading data.

We are looking for candidates with background experience in carbon cycling, climate change, agriculture and land use change, life cycle analyses, environmental economics. The candidate will have the opportunity to interact with a variety of industry partners involved in the project and will be working closely with a postdoctoral researcher and PhD student.

Please direct all queries to ap2188@cam.ac.uk

We especially encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 18 months in the first instance.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD37112 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.