Research Laboratory Technician (Fixed Term)
We invite applications for a Research 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 post holder 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).
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 PD42629 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.
Head of Science Operations
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Department of Plant Sciences as Head of Science Operations at our Crop Science Centre located on Huntingdon Road.
The Department of Plant Sciences is part of the School of Biological Sciences. It has an international reputation and welcomes staff, students and visitors from across the world. The Crop Science Centre (CSC) has grown rapidly since opening in 2020. We are therefore creating a new senior management role, Head of Science Operations, reporting to, and with delegated authority from, the Centre Director. The remit of the role is to provide leadership on areas of scientific functionality including communications, intellectual property, regulation, scientific platforms and scientific services. As the CSC Director is Programme Leader for the ENSA research programme, the role holder will be significantly involved in that, and oversee functions relating to it.
CSC is part of the Department of Plant Sciences with HR, finance, IT and facilities managed centrally. This new role will oversee and manage local CSC functionalities, co-ordinating as appropriate with overall Department operations. The role-holder will be responsible for day-to-day staff and resource management of Centre functions to ensure effective provision in support of scientific services and research, acting as line manager to 4 staff. They will lead on identifying collaboration and commercial opportunities for researchers, implementing relevant policies and procedures to support this, and co-ordinating impact by working with the ENSA Impact Manager. They will have responsibility for developing an overall communications strategy, both Centre and ENSA-specific, working with the Communications Co-ordinator and an external agency to build effective platforms.
They will oversee delivery of scientific services and the ENSA platforms team, providing guidance and strategic support with decision-making and resource allocation. They will review, identify and implement changes to relevant processes as required; co-ordinate retreats; lead centre working groups; liaise with the Department Business and Operations Manager and Finance Manager on strategic issues as required.
The successful candidate will have significant experience in an operations management role; line management experience; demonstrable evidence of team leadership and skills in resource management. They will be able to manage relationships between commercial and non-commercial parties, with the ability to discuss science at a high level, and demonstrate knowledge and an understanding of how research labs and facilities function.
A PhD in Plant Sciences or a relevant scientific field is desirable, together with excellent communication skills, strong organisational and IT skills, and project management experience. They will have the ability to liaise with colleagues at all levels of the organisation and work both independently and in a team.
In Plant Sciences we offer a friendly, inclusive and supportive environment, with hybrid and flexible working opportunities, and the option to apply for on-site parking subject to certain criteria. The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
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 heard from us within 1 month, please assume that your application was unsuccessful.
Please quote reference PD42517 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.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term)
The Department of Plant Sciences is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant / Research Associate with strong expertise in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance and their coordination to work on the regulation of stomatal opening in response to red light. Strong expertise in molecular biology and plant physiology is required.
Where a PhD has yet to be awarded the appointment will initially be at Research Assistant level (Grade 5) and amended to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon the award of your PhD.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 6 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 PD42628 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.
Research Associate (Fixed Term)
The tropics harbour more species than anywhere else on Earth. This biodiversity supports a number of ecosystem services¿benefits that humankind derives from the natural environment¿that are essential for human well-being and socioeconomic opportunities. Of particular importance is timber and associated wood products. Yet the overexploitation of timber via selective logging in tropical forests threatens the long-term sustainable flow of this vital resource, the survival of harvested species, and the hyper-diversity of unexploited flora and fauna within logged forests. Our previous work has identified the high conservation value of selectively logged tropical forests but the potential for unsustainable trade, including under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). We have used meta-analysis to contrast the environmental outcomes of native secondary restoration versus timber plantations, and phylogenetic and trait-based modelling to infer species extinction risk. We have also developed remote-sensing algorithms to detect selective logging in the Amazon, with these approaches since adopted by Peru's forest oversight agency (OSINFOR) who are using them to detect illegal logging in the Peruvian Amazon. We now seek to use a combination of these approaches and forest growth modelling, to determine at pan-tropical scale whether timber offtake is sustainable for exploited species and to assess species' relative risk of overexploitation. This Postdoctoral Research Associate post will tackle these key strands of research, reporting directly to Professor David Edwards. It will tackle two main Objectives: (1) Quantify the degree of sustainability in current selective logging operations pan-tropically, by drawing together existing evidence in a meta-analytic framework; and (2) Estimate sustainable offtake rates for exploited tree species at varying densities, using species' vital rates extracted from the extensive global networks of repeat-measured forest plots, forest growth models, and phylogenetic and functional trait-based interpolation.
The Postdoctoral Research Associate will work with large datasets, including forest plot and logging data, phylogenies and trait matrices, meta-analysis, and possibly remote-sensing products. They will deliver high-quality analyses and publish these in leading scientific journals. They will work with a high degree of independence, as appropriate seeking input from Prof Edwards and the wider network of collaborators engaged in the Centre for Global Wood Security, which Edwards is founding and directing.
Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV as well as a publications list in the Upload section of the online application. Please also include a 1-2 proposal about how you would deliver this research. The covering letter should outline why you are interested in the post and how you match the criteria for the post.
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 PD42627 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.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term)
A postdoctoral position is available in the Henderson group to investigate centromere structure, function and evolution using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, funded by the ERC and UKRI. The post is available for three years in the first instance, with the possibility of extension.
The successful candidate will lead an ambitious bioinformatics program to dissect centromere structure and function, using both genetic and epigenetic data in Arabidopsis. The project will involve analysing data derived from classical genetic experiments, as well as Oxford Nanopore long-read DNA sequencing, and the results of CRISPR-mediated genome and epigenome engineering. The objective is to understand fundamental aspects of centromere identity, with cross-cutting relevance across eukaryotes. Knowledge of centromere identity will also find translation in building plant synthetic chromosomes.
The successful candidate will collaborate closely with an experimental postdoctoral fellow and a research technician to be appointed at the same time on the same project, and with other Henderson group members.
The post-holder will obtain a cutting-edge training in bioinformatic analysis of complex genome regions, including the assembly, analysis and epigenome profiling using Nanopore long-read data. The University of Cambridge also offers abundant training opportunities in computational approaches, presentation skills and networking. The University of Cambridge is also a major centre for both plant science, and genomics, providing extensive opportunities for collaboration and presentation of research findings and further career development and growth.
Where a PhD has yet to be awarded the appointment will initially be at Research Assistant level (Grade 5) and amended to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon the award of your PhD.
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.
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 PD42577 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.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term)
A postdoctoral position is available in the Henderson group to investigate centromere structure, function and evolution using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, funded by the ERC and UKRI. The post is available for three years in the first instance, with the possibility of further extension.
The successful candidate will lead an ambitious experimental genetic program to dissect centromere structure and function, using genetic and epigenetic modification in Arabidopsis. The project will involve combining classical genetics with Oxford Nanopore long-read DNA sequencing, and CRISPR-mediated genome and epigenome engineering. The objective is to understand fundamental aspects of centromere identity, with cross-cutting relevance across eukaryotes. Knowledge of centromere identity will also find translation in building plant synthetic chromosomes.
The post-holder will be supported by a full-time technician to facilitate the planned plant work and molecular biology. The successful candidate will also collaborate closely with a bioinformatics postdoctoral fellow to be appointed at the same time on the same project, and with other Henderson group members.
The post-holder will obtain a cutting-edge training in genetics and genomics, including the generation and analysis of Nanopore long-read data, and CRISPR-Cas9 approaches. The University of Cambridge also offers abundant training opportunities in computational approaches, presentation skills and networking. The University of Cambridge is also a major centre for both plant science, and genomics, providing extensive opportunities for collaboration and presentation of research findings and further career development and growth.
Where a PhD has yet to be awarded the appointment will initially be at Research Assistant level (Grade 5) and amended to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon the award of your PhD.
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.
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 PD42611 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.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term)
A BBSRC-funded Postdoctoral Associate position is available in the Davies lab to study damage signalling in Arabidopsis triggered by root cyst nematodes. The successful candidate will explore the role of extracellular purines and calcium channels in this pathway, in collaboration with Prof. Sebastian Eves van den Akke (Crops Science Centre, Cambridge) and Prof. Taufiq Rahman (Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge). A combination of protein-protein interactions, calcium imaging, electrophysiology (including heterologous expression systems) and quantitative phenotyping can be deployed. The successful candidate will also be involved in preparing publications, presenting at conferences and supervising students.
Applicants must have or be close to obtaining a PhD in Plant Biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Signalling or a relevant field. Where a PhD has yet to be awarded the appointment will initially be at Research Assistant level (Grade 5) and amended to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon the award of your PhD.
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 PD42579 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.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term)
The post-doctoral research assistant / associate will join the Kromdijk lab at the Department of Plant Sciences to work on chilling tolerance in maize. Maize is a global food, feedstock and bioenergy crop with a world-wide production volume of 1.09 billion metric tons. Maize was domesticated by ancient farmers in Mexico approximately 9000 years ago and is one of the most susceptible crops to chilling-induced photoinhibition amongst those grown in temperate regions. As a result, maize yields at higher latitudes are limited by a relatively short growing season and maize is sensitive to yield losses due to early and late season cold snaps and poor early season establishment of sufficient leaf area to efficiently capture light and compete with weeds.
Maize operates the C4 carbon concentrating mechanism, which separates carbon acquisition and assimilation between two distinct cell types. While C4 photosynthesis in maize is clearly chilling-sensitive, one long-standing question is how the two photosynthetic cell types (bundle sheath and mesophyll) differ in their responses. To address this question, the postdoctoral researcher will focus on characterising transcriptome responses to chilling, specifically in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells. To do so, the position will focus on testing a set of novel transgenic maize lines carrying TRAPseq and INTACT constructs to probe transcriptomes from these two cell types and using the most promising lines in controlled chilling experiments.
As noted in the advertisement, this vacancy is being studied as part of the Action Research on Research Culture project (ARRC) (https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/research/research-projects/research-culture/).
You need to submit both a Narrative CV and your standard CV, [and any other documents requested] to apply for this post, regardless of your decision to take part in the study. You should use the Narrative CV template available in Word format from the template attached to this job advertisement and available from: https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Narrative-CV-Template-Resume-for-Research.docx
Following the template, your Narrative CV should be structured around these four subheadings:
MODULE 1 - How have you contributed to the generation of knowledge? MODULE 2 - How have you contributed to the development of individuals? MODULE 3 - How have you contributed to the wider research community? MODULE 4 - How have you contributed to broader society?
Both your Narrative CV and standard CV will be used together to make shortlisting decisions, so do not worry if the Narrative CV format is unfamiliar to you. Your choice of whether to participate in the study will not affect your chance of being appointed: no one involved in the decision making will be told who has agreed to participate until the hiring decision has been made.
If you consent to take part in the study the ARRC team will use information from the shortlisting process to understand the impact of CV format. Full details on the study can be found in the ARRC participant information sheet [included as a separate file uploaded to this job ad]. The ARRC team will contact you by email to ask if you are willing to participate in the ARRC study. If you have questions about participation in the ARRC project, please contact: arrcproject@admin.cam.ac.uk
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.
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 PD42530 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.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term)
The post-doctoral research assistant / associate will join the Kromdijk lab at the Department of Plant Sciences and be embedded in a larger research team seeking to deploy new thermal detection technology to address a range of global change issues.
The postdoc's project aims to perform lab-based experiments on the effect of elevated temperature on selected species from a peatland ecosystem (Scottish Highlands, Cairngorms) using a range of optical sensing techniques (thermal, chlorophyll fluorescence and reflectance), which are suitable for upscaling. Ultimately, these controlled experiments aim to enhance our ability to predict peatland responses to global warming.
The overall team is interdisciplinary, comprising researchers in the Plant Sciences, Architecture and Astronomy Departments as well as the industrial partner Super Sharp Space Systems Ltd, who are leading the overall project.
To apply for this vacancy, you need upload two (2) CVs (Curriculum Vitae) in different formats: a Narrative CV and your standard CV (full details in the Further Particulars).
This is a real vacancy that is being studied as part of the Action Research on Research Culture project (ARRC, https://www.arrc.group.cam.ac.uk/).
The ARRC team are investigating the effects of CV format on shortlisting. If you consent to take part in the study, the ARRC team will use information from the shortlisting process to understand the impact of different CV formats. The recruiting academic will not be told whether you have joined the study so your choice about whether to take part in the study cannot influence the decision on who to appoint. Further details can be found in the 'Further particulars' document. If you have questions about the ARRC project, please contact: arrcproject@admin.cam.ac.uk
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 PD42523 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.
Research Laboratory Technician (Fixed Term)
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 until 7 January 2027 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 PD42508 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.
Research Laboratory Technician
A Research Laboratory Technician position is available in the Henderson group, funded by the ERC/UKRI. The project will investigate centromere structure, function and evolution using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The post is available for three years in the first instance, with the possibility of further extension.
The successful candidate will work closely with an experimental researcher employed on the project. The candidate will perform plant management and maintenance, crossing, DNA extraction and genotyping, and molecular biology experiments. The project also includes Oxford Nanopore sequencing, and there will be the opportunity for the candidate to gain training in this technology for long-read DNA sequencing.
The candidate will also contribute to running of the laboratory, including reagent ordering, media and solution preparation, and health and safety responsibilities.
The University of Cambridge offers abundant training opportunities in many areas, including presentation skills and networking, that the candidate will have access to. The University of Cambridge is a major centre for both plant science, and genomics, providing extensive opportunities for further career development and growth.
Limited funding: 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.
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 PD42420 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.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term)
The postdoctoral researcher will join the Pellegrini lab at the University of Cambridge and be embedded in a larger research team seeking to deploy new thermal detection technology to address a range of global change issues.
The postdoc's project aims to scale field measurements of fire intensity and behavior to predict greenhouse gas emissions arising from soil organic carbon combustion during small smoldering fires in peatlands. This involves prescribed burn experiments in the Scottish Highlands (Cairngorms), where numerous instruments will be used to measure fire behavior (thermal sensor on drone, thermocouples in peat, etc.), and greenhouse gas fluxes (chamber measurements of CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes). Sites will be sampled over the course of several weeks prior to the burn and after the burn, requiring fieldwork for 4-6 weeks. In the lab, the researcher will conduct different biogeochemical analyses to asses soil organic matter composition, stability, and microbial decomposition activity. All the data will be compared with drone thermal measurements of the fire, coordinated with collaborators focusing on the remote sensing aspect of the project, and aim to scale estimates of emissions from smoldering fires. Additional field sampling in Southeast Asia and North America are also possible pending successful deployment in Scotland
The overall team is interdisciplinary, comprising researchers in the Plant Sciences, Architecture, and Astronomy Departments. A company, Super Sharp, is leading the deployment of a satellite with a thermal sensor that will enable us to scale our plot-based measurements to the global scale.
The Pellegrini lab consists of a diverse group of researchers, ranging from undergraduates, permanent research associates, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers. We work on both original data collection via field sampling and lab analyses as well as data synthesis and model-data comparisons. We are interesting in applying ecological and biogeochemical principles to solve global change problems.
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 PD42197 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.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term)
The postdoctoral researcher will join the Pellegrini lab at the University of Cambridge and be embedded in a broader interdisciplinary research team seeking to identify just transitions to net zero in the UK food production system. They will participate in a work package on a UKRI grant that explores how different land use scenarios can potentially change greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, with a focus on pastureland. They will lead the portion on quantifying changes in greenhouse gas emissions on farms under different interventions and scenarios. The position is for 24 months.
The postdoctoral researcher will combine geospatial datasets of land use, process-based and bookkeeping models of carbon cycling, and field sampling. The modeling component will simulate C stock changes due to land use change, and greenhouse gas fluxes under different management schemes (e.g., IPCC Tier 2). Models will be compared to field sampling of soil organic carbon in different pasture management systems and nearby ecosystem types within the UK (e.g., improved pasture, high stocking density, rough semi-natural upland grazing).
The overall research team is interdisciplinary, with a strong social science focus on just transitions (e.g. to net zero) in the farming-food system. As such, this role provides a unique opportunity to be part of a 'systems-level' approach to finding solutions to sustainable food production. The other Postdoctoral Researcher on this specific work package (running the scenario analyses) will be based at the James Hutton Institute (JHI). We will be working closely with both researchers at JHI and land use scenario modelers at the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science. The broader project is run by RSPB and includes a consortium of UK Universities and stakeholder partners in four focal landscapes around the UK.
The Pellegrini lab consists of a diverse group of researchers, ranging from undergraduates, permanent research associates, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers. We work on both original data collection via field sampling and lab analyses as well as data synthesis and model-data comparisons. We are interesting in applying ecological and biogeochemical principles to solve global change problems.
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 PD42198 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.
HR Coordinator
The Department of Plant Sciences is seeking a part time HR Coordinator. The purpose of the role is to support human resource administration across the Department in order to facilitate an efficient and effective service. This is a busy and varied role. The duties of the role will include providing accurate advice to individuals and managers on HR policy and employment relations issues, co-ordination of recruitment processes including visa applications, co-ordination of induction, probation, staff review and leaver procedures. The role-holder will act as the first point of contact for HR and payroll matters as well as assist with visitor administration across the Department. For full details please read the further information document. The role is part time (18.25 hours/week). The successful candidate will have strong HR administrative experience and excellent communication and organisational skills. They will be an experienced user of Microsoft Office. The ability to develop a good working relationship with a wide range of people and deal with HR issues in a confidential manner is key.
The University of Cambridge offers a variety of benefits including extensive professional development opportunities and retail discounts. The Department of Plant Sciences has a thriving programme of wellbeing initiatives for staff. This is a great opportunity to join a friendly and supportive team at the Department of Plant Sciences. Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Catherine Butler, Business and Operations Manager on cek31@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.
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 PD42154 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.
Research Assistant (Fixed Term)
We are recruiting for a research assistant based at the OpenPlant Laboratory in Cambridge in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and directed by Prof. Jim Haseloff.
The appointee will help develop new approaches to bioproduction in the model liverwort plant Marchantia polymorpha. Work with Marchantia allows streamlined approaches to genome modification, cell dynamics and morphogenetic engineering. The planned work includes use of a collection of synthetic gene elements designed for engineering the Marchantia chloroplast genome. These allow hyper-expression of proteins in transgenic plants, and we are developing hydroponic systems for large-scale, soil-free propagation of plants, and low-cost downstream processing of plant extracts for purification of recombinant proteins at scale. We are looking for a highly motivated appointee to work in this area. The position is available as a full-time position until the 13th of February 2026.
The successful candidate will have a background in plant molecular biology or synthetic biology, including work experience or a degree in a relevant area. Experience with plant culture, DNA manipulation, plant molecular biology or microscopy will be advantageous.
OpenPlant is focused on the development of open foundational technologies for plant synthetic biology and their application for engineering new traits in crop systems. The initiative promotes two-tier intellectual property models to accelerate innovation, global sharing and responsible innovation (https://www.openplant.org). The OpenBioMAPS project aims to provide open source tools to foster innovation for startups and SMEs in the UK.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 6 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 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 PD42117 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.
Senior Research Laboratory Technician (Fixed Term)
An exciting opportunity is available for a Research Laboratory Technician to help support the Chromatin and Memory Group, led by Dr. Jake Harris at the Department of Plant Sciences. The Department of Plant Sciences is situated on the Downing Site in Cambridge, and houses state-of-the-art laboratories, and is a short walk from the Plant Growth Facility at the Botanic Garden, where the bulk of plant material is grown in controlled conditions. The project involves the generation of CRISPR based constructs, and transgenic lines, using the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana.
The postholder will perform various routine molecular biology techniques in the lab, including cloning (PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA purification, restriction reactions, ligation reactions, Gibson assembly approaches, bacterial transformation and culture, plasmid purification, and sanger sequencing) and genotyping (collecting material, genomic DNA extractions, PCR and gel electrophoresis), and will also be responsible for plant work; including generating transgenic lines (by floral dip) and maintenance of plant transgenic lines (sowing seeds, collecting seeds, maintaining organised notes).
The successful candidate is not expected to be familiar with all of these techniques, however, a willingness to learn, and some prior experience with lab work is essential. The successful candidate will have strong organisational and time-management skills, a positive attitude, and a good team spirit.
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 PD42112 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.
Research Assistant / Associate (Fixed Term)
This 10-month full-time postdoctoral position will investigate the phenotypic effects of plant 'persistent' viruses (e.g., endornaviruses and partitiviruses, which are inherited but not horizontally transmissible) using pepper plants (Capsicum annuum) as a model. The successful candidate will generate isogenic lines of pepper cultivars that are infected with, or free of, persistent viruses. They will determine the effects of persistent viruses on growth and seed production and interactions of the host with pathogenic agents, including pathogenic plant viruses, and abiotic stresses.
We are seeking candidates that are highly skilled in plant virology. Candidates will be expected to hold a PhD, or equivalent qualification in plant virology. The successful candidate will be primarily based in the Plant Sciences Department but will carry out some procedures in the Botanic Garden Plant Growth Facility.
The successful applicant will become an integral and valued member of a multi-disciplinary group and will be expected to have strong written and oral communication skills.
The successful candidates will be expected to design and carry out research both independently and as part of a team.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 10 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 PD41803 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.
Research Laboratory Technician (Fixed Term)
The Department of Plant Sciences is seeking to appoint a Research Laboratory Technician to provide technical support for research activity to ensure the smooth running of research projects. In particular, this role will be responsible for growing, maintaining and phenotyping rice and Arabidopsis transgenic lines. The major techniques involving growing, maintaining plants, DNA, RNA extractions, genotyping, and gene expression analysis either by RT-PCR or qRT-PCR. In addition, the role involves cloning and light microscopy work.
The position is available until June 2025.
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 PD41695 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.
University Assistant/Associate Professor in Plant Ecology and Evolution
Applications are invited for an Assistant/Associate Professor post in Plant Sciences, available from 1 July 2024. We are looking to appoint at either Grade 9 (£45, 585- £57,696) or Grade 10 (£61,198 - £64,914) depending on skills and experience.
We welcome excellent candidates who can teach and perform research in Plant Ecology. In particular, we are interested in applications from those with a focus on fieldwork in areas such as molecular ecology, evolutionary ecology, microbial ecology in the context of plant biology, plant and microbial responses to climate change and other anthropogenetic stressors.
The appointee will join the Department of Plant Sciences, which delivers teaching and research that stretches across the plant sciences discipline - from ecology and conservation, to physiology, genetics and genomics. There will be the opportunity to be affiliated with the Cambridge Conservation Research Institute, a world-leading centre for research and training in biodiversity conservation, working in partnership with eleven international conservation organisations.
Key responsibilities include teaching undergraduates, conducting world-leading research, and advising postgraduate students and post-doctoral workers. There is the opportunity to become a Fellow of a College. Undergraduate teaching includes lectures in ecology, evolution, and microbial ecology, practical classes and small-group supervisions. The teaching commitment also includes an annual field course (locations include England, Portugal, and Borneo). Postgraduate training options include contribution to MPhil and PhD programmes. Innovations in teaching methods are actively encouraged, as are engagement with mentoring and professional development.
We will support the successful candidate to develop a research programme that complements and reinforces existing Departmental research strengths. There are shared laboratory facilities for a variety of environmental analyses both within the Department and in collaboration with other Departments.
Candidates must have a PhD in a relevant field and sufficient breadth and/or depth of specialist knowledge in their chosen discipline to be able to teach to a high standard. They should also have evidence of excellence in research and demonstrated capacity to develop research objectives, projects and proposals. Appointments at the level of Associate Professor will usually be able to provide evidence of success in obtaining research funding to support research or career development.
Applications should comprise a letter of application (summarise how you would contribute to both teaching and research in the Department), your curriculum vitae (including up-to-date publications list, and for three outputs a concise narrative outlining the context for each piece of work, your contribution to the output and the importance of the findings), and a statement of your current and future research plans on no more than five pages.
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.
If you have not heard from us within 1 month, please assume that your application was unsuccessful.
Please quote reference PD41455 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.
