PA to Head of Department/Department Administrator (Part Time, Fixed Term)
The Department of Plant Sciences has an exciting recruitment opportunity to join our professional services team as PA to the Head of Department and Departmental Administrator. This is a key role supporting Department research and education activity. Based in central Cambridge, we can offer a welcoming and inclusive work environment where you will be encouraged to develop and achieve your full potential with training and management support.
The Department of Plant Sciences is a large teaching and research Department in the School of Biological Sciences with approximately 26 Academics leading research groups, 200 members of staff and 100 postgraduate students.
You will provide a comprehensive PA service to the Head of Department and Departmental Administrator to ensure the efficient management of their time and work, covering tasks such as arranging meetings, preparation of meeting papers and minute-taking, and co-ordinating organisation of Department events. You will also take responsibility for some HR tasks including visitor administration. You will join a friendly administrative team with support and training on University systems provided as required.
Ideally you will have relevant PA experience with high competency in standard software packages (Word, Excel, Outlook), excellent organisational and communication skills, the ability to be pro-active, plan and prioritise a diverse workload, and to work unsupervised and as part of a team.
The post is 29.2 hours per week (0.8 FTE), and fixed term for 3 years.
What we Offer
The University of Cambridge offers excellent benefits and opportunities in a stimulating environment.
The University salary structure includes automatic pay progression in many grades and an annual cost of living increase. In addition to this, employees are rewarded for outstanding contribution through several pay progression schemes. There is also a generous annual leave entitlement.
The University offers employees a wide range of benefits including reduced price health care, a cycle to work scheme, as well as numerous retail discounts.
University-led initiatives in the areas of equality, diversity and wellbeing include the Women's Staff Network, the Disabled Staff Network, the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Network, Parents and Carers and the LGBT+ Network. The Department of Plant Sciences has an active group of Wellbeing Advocates who organise events and other initiatives.
Wellbeing at Cambridge is a University-wide initiative aiming at supporting and maximising the health and wellbeing of staff.
The University offers a range of family-friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave. In addition, workplace nurseries, childcare vouchers, a childcare salary sacrifice scheme and a popular holiday play scheme are available to help support University employees with caring responsibilities.
The Department of Plant Sciences offers all its staff an annual pass for the Botanic Garden.
Contact Catherine Butler for an informal chat about the post by emailing cek31@cam.ac.uk and take a look at our website to find out more about the Department: https://www.plantsci.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.
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 PD36046 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)
We are seeking an outstanding landscape ecologist with experience of working at the interface between biodiversity science and remote sensing. They will join the Centre for Landscape Regeneration (CLR), funded through the Natural Environment Research Council's Changing the Environment programme. CLR aims to provide the evidence needed to fulfill government ambitions to bring back more nature to British countryside and deliver a greater range of ecosystem services than food production (important though that is). The programme is focusing on three contrasting landscapes: the East Anglian fenland (primarily used for productive arable agriculture); the Scottish Highlands (traditionally used for deer stalking and forestry plantations) and the Lake District (with a thousand-year history of extensive sheep grazing).
We envisage using several remote sensing products to achieve these objectives, and will give the postdoc the opportunity to decide which datasets to collect / purchase. We plan to fly watercourses and other wetlands in the fens, with a Mavic 3M drone this summer to obtain detailed imagery for habitat classification. We will also plan to purchase high-resolution satellite imagery (e.g. Maxar) to evaluate whether nuanced habitat classification is possible from space using CNN. In the Cairngorms we plan to conduct an airborne lidar and photographic survey, to provide detailed habitat structure data.
The project provides an exciting opportunity to understand human influences on biodiversity in three iconic regions of the UK, and produce evidence that is relevant to policy and practice.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 33 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 PD35718 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)
We are seeking an outstanding early career researcher with experience in monitoring forest carbon stocks using a combination of field measurements and remotely sensed information (e.g. airborne lidar datasets taken from drones or aircraft). They will join the NERC-funded Centre for Landscape Regeneration producing scientific evidence to support the management of ambitious nature recovery projects in the Scottish Highlands (Cairngorns Connect) and the Lake District (Haweswater).
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 33 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 PD35942 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.
Postdoctoral Research Associate (Fixed Term)
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 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.
We invite applications for a post-doctoral research associate in phenotyping to join the Eves-van den Akker Lab at the University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences. 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. Funding is available for four years, with a flexible start date within the next 6 months. The appointee will join a proudly international, diverse, and welcoming lab.
The research will be part of an exciting research project in Food Security and Plant Pathology, aimed at developing new phenotyping tools/approaches for plant-parasitic nematodes. Phenotyping is one of the major barriers to progress in the field, and it is expected that successful completion of this project will have a profound and long-lasting positive benefit to the field at large.
The successful applicant will work closely with other members of the team, and is expected to have involvement in the training and supervision of students and other researchers within the wider group. They will participate in the dissemination of research through publications and oral presentations, both within the department and at conferences.
Applicants must possess, or will soon be completing, a PhD in any appropriate area, together with excellent skills in scientific analysis, independent working and time management, and presentation skills. Applicants should be skilled in wet-lab and dry lab techniques. An understanding of plant-parasitic nematology is necessary, as is previous experience of building low-cost, high-throughput, phenotyping platforms for plant-parasitic nematodes. Good interpersonal skills and enthusiasm are also essential.
Informal enquiries are welcomed, direct to Sebastian (se389@cam.ac.uk).
As a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, the University of Cambridge does not use journal level metrics when assessing the quality of research outputs. Applicants should not include journal level metrics, such as the Journal Impact Factor, anywhere in their application materials. Applicants should highlight a select subset of what they consider to be their most important research outputs and provide a brief narrative account of their significance.
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.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Please quote reference PD35864 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 in Epidemiological Modelling (Fixed Term)
Purpose of the role The successful candidate will be a member of the Epidemiology and Modelling Group in the Department of Plant Sciences led by Professor Chris Gilligan and will work on epidemiological models to analyse the spread and control of plant diseases across a variety of real-life systems including crop and natural systems in developed and developing countries.
Key responsibilities We are seeking a highly-motivated individual with expertise in computational and mathematical modelling for developing and implementing epidemiological models. The successful candidate will join a team working on the implementation of models for transboundary pests and pathogens affecting subsistence agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA). The work involves a combination of computational modelling and parameter estimation to integrate often incomplete data sets on host crop landscapes, pest and pathogen surveys and grower behaviour, supported by meteorological data. The role will focus initially on cassava brown streak virus, which is spreading from East Africa and threatening food security across Central and West Africa. Here the principal questions concern using models to explore practical disease management scenarios in a heterogeneous population of host crops, subject to fluctuating environments and with incomplete knowledge. There will be opportunities to collaborate on ongoing projects to manage pests and diseases on staple crops in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa.
Appointment will be at the level of Postdoctoral Research Associate. Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 December 2024 in the first instance, with the possibility of a further extension depending on funding.
In addition to a competitive salary, University staff are eligible for a comprehensive package of benefits and services including discounts on shopping, health care, financial services and public transport. We also offer defined benefits pension schemes and tax-efficient bicycle, car lease and charity-giving schemes.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 21 months in the first instance.
Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) check.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Contact Sally Hames (sah57@cam.ac.uk) if you have any queries.
Please quote reference PD35751 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)
Applications are invited for a post-doctoral research associate to work on investigating convergent evolution of betalain pigments in Caryophyllales at multiple scales supervised by Samuel Brockington (Evolution Research Group).
The project focusses on our recent discovery that betalains have convergently evolved multiple times within the Caryophyllales. The research will consist of molecular phylogenetic analysis of betalain pathway genes, sequencing and assembling Caryophyllales genomes, and gene expression measurement with RNA-Seq.
We are looking a candidate with an extensive phylogenetic skillset, large-scale bioinformatic experience including genome and transcriptome assembly, expression quantification from RNA-Seq, coexpression analysis and detection of DEGs, experimental design, statistical analysis, programming skills in R and python, and laboratory skills including high molecular weight DNA extraction for long read genome sequencing, RNA extraction for RNA-Seq, and pigment extraction and quantification using absorbance and HPLC. The successful candidate will work closely with other members of the group to write interdisciplinary publications combining bioinformatic and wet lab results.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 August 2023 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 PD35759 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.
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cell Biology (Fixed Term)
We invite applications for a post-doctoral research associate in cell biology to join the "E-biogenesis" project at the University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences. 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. Funding is available for four years, with a flexible start date within the next 6 months. The appointee will join the group of Dr Sebastian Eves-van den Akker, a proudly international, diverse, and welcoming lab.
The research will be part of an exciting ERC research project in Food Security and Plant Pathology, entitled, "Effector Biogenesis: An unexplored, and yet critically important, part of plant-nematode interactions".
The rationale behind this project is that the ability of nematodes to cause disease depends on hundreds of "effectors": molecules delivered into the plant during infection. Blocking effectors blocks parasitism, however, blocking individual effectors is insufficient. Rather, we should attack the features that unite most effectors in their biogenesis machinery. Effectors have to pass through a specialised secretory conduit to get into the plant. Surely, this "effector biogenesis conduit" is the Achilles heel of the nematode.
Despite its fundamental importance, effector biogenesis was understudied due to technical intractability. With our recent development in functional genetic tools, we are now well placed to dissect this important knowledge gap. To do this, we are looking a cell biologist to join the team. Those with a keen interest in understanding biology, and expertise in cell biology from any organism, are strongly encouraged to apply.
The successful applicant will work closely with other members of the E-biogenesis team, and is expected to have involvement in the training and supervision of students and other researchers within the wider group. They will participate in the dissemination of research through publications and oral presentations, both within the department and at conferences.
Applicants must possess, or will soon be completing, a PhD in any appropriate area, together with excellent skills in scientific analysis, independent working and time management, and presentation skills. Applicants should be skilled in wet-lab techniques. An understanding of plant-parasitic nematology or pathology is not necessary. Good interpersonal skills and enthusiasm are essential.
Informal enquiries are welcomed, direct to Sebastian (se389@cam.ac.uk).
As a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, the University of Cambridge does not use journal level metrics when assessing the quality of research outputs. Applicants should not include journal level metrics, such as the Journal Impact Factor, anywhere in their application materials. Applicants should highlight a select subset of what they consider to be their most important research outputs and provide a brief narrative account of their significance.
If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date you should consider your application to be unsuccessful.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 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 PD35653 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 Associate Hydrologist (Fixed Term)
We seek an experienced hydrologist, with a background in hydrological modelling/engineering, to join a multi-disciplinary team in the new University of Cambridge Centre for Landscape Regeneration (CLR). Your work will provide evidence to support an integrated, landscape-scale plan for capturing, storing, and managing water for a range of benefits, to help achieve a climate resilient future in a regenerated fenland landscape. You will work with hydrologists, engineers and planners from the Environment Agency, Anglian Water and Internal Drainage Boards, DEFRA, Natural England, NFU and farmers, among others, integrating and aggregating hydrological information across a range of scales from field drains to the whole landscape, carrying out hydraulic and distributed hydrological modelling, and conducting cost-benefit analyses of alternative water management strategies. Although based in Cambridge, you will also need to travel throughout the Fens and occasionally to other drained landscapes in the UK and the Netherlands.
You will interact closely with the CLR research team, which includes systems engineers, soil scientists, chemists, computer scientists, social scientists, conservationists, and hydrologists working on field-scale water-flow and water-table manipulation through peat and degraded peat soils, GHG emissions (CO2 and CH4) and water quality. You will also contribute to work by CLR's biodiversity and landscape-scenario modelling teams on the practical and economic feasibility of different water-management regimes.
This post is offered full-time, but we welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.
Interviews are expected to be held in the week commencing 3 April.
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.
Research Laboratory Technician (Fixed Term)
The Department of Plant Sciences is seeking to appoint a Research Laboratory Technician to carry out experimental work under the supervision of Professor Julian Hibberd. The successful candidate will be involved in grafting various germplasm to increase efficiencies, and understanding the process in monocotyledons.
Role overview To support the Head of Group and Researchers working on a research project, carrying out experimental research to generate results for future research.
The role will require ability to set up experiments under minimal supervision with due care and attention. Day-to-day tasks will include growth and maintenance of plants in tissue culture as well as in greenhouse conditions, careful dissection of plant parts, use of microscopes, designing experimental approaches and recording data.
The ideal candidate will have a good general education to A-Level standard. Qualifications in a science subject are essential. Knowledge of grafting, autoclaves and controlled environment rooms would be an advantageous but can be taught. More information about the lab is available at hibberdlab.com
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 November 2024 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 PD33999 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)
Applications are invited for a post-doctoral research associate in Cassava genetics to work with Prof Uta Paszkowski at the Crop Science Centre, starting 1st April 2023.
Association of plant root systems with beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can improve crop nutrition, growth and yield. Across different crop species, genetic variation exists that underpins the extent of benefit from the interaction. Despite its potential for improving crop performance sustainably, breeding programmes so far have not prioritised 'mycorrhizal responsiveness' as a target trait. With the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable nutrition for water-saving rice cultivation, this project wishes to explore the genetic diversity underpinning mycorrhizal benefit.
The projected research will work with GWAS data obtained from prior efforts focusing on a diversity panel of rice indica varieties and also extend into Africa-relevant germplasm.
Applicants must have a solid background in plant genetics; available knowledge in basic bioinformatics, would be advantageous.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 March 2028 in the first instance.
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.
Please note 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.
Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.
Please quote reference PD35340 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.
Postdoc Research Associate/Research Group Manager (Fixed Term)
Research Associate/Group Manager (Fixed Term)
A position is open for a postdoctoral researcher to support the research group of Professor Beverley Glover, based in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge.
The role-holder will work closely with Professor Glover to support her research group, which studies the evolution and development of flowers. They will co-supervise and mentor PhD students and postdoctoral researchers; help in the management of research projects; provide training in use of laboratory equipment and in troubleshooting experimental progress; and support students and postdocs in preparing papers, thesis chapters and presentations. The role-holder will also take part in the preparation of research papers and funding applications.
In addition to this support role, the role-holder will also conduct research as part of one or more of the Glover lab's current research projects. A specific research programme will be developed to suit the role-holder's interests and skills.
We are looking for a highly motivated post-doctoral scientist who is interested in transitioning towards a management role. Strong molecular genetic skills are essential, along with a proven ability to train and mentor early career researchers and strong written communication skills. Experience with microscopy and with emerging genetic models would be an advantage.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for three years in the first instance, with potential for renewal for a further two years.
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 PD33137 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 invite interested graduate scientists to apply for the position of Research Assistant, based at the Crop Science Centre in Cambridge, to work in Professor Uta Paszkowski's laboratory on a research project led by Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Sarabeth Buckley.
This is an exciting opportunity for somebody passionate about scientific research to gain experience in a state-of-the-art laboratory. The successful candidate will be joining a vibrant and friendly group of research technicians and researchers in the Crop Science Centre.
The Centre, which opened in October 2020, 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 amongst three established research groups and three fellows starting new research programmes.
The Paszkowski lab focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and functioning of AM symbioses in rice and maize. It aims at developing knowledge to optimize the incorporation of the AM-symbiosis into sustainable yet modern agricultural practices. The role holder will help to cover Dr Buckley's research project while she is on maternity leave and will report to Professor Paszkowski. The project focuses on essential techniques such as plant establishment and maintenance, fungal quantification, RNA expressions analysis and, after training, the role holder will work on the project independently for the next 4 months with the support of Professor Paszkowski's lab.
Successful candidates will have a BSc or MSc (or equivalent) in biological or life sciences, with a strong background in molecular biology and biochemistry. Experience in computational biology, cell biology and/or synthetic biology as well as experience working with plants (such as oryza sative) will be advantageous. The role holder will have good IT skills, excellent organisation skills, and the ability to work independently once trained.
The role holder will work as part of a wider team of laboratory technicians and research assistants, therefore being a strong team player is essential. The role holder will possess good communication and interpersonal skills.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. We strive for a diverse and creative environment and wish to broaden representation in the agricultural sciences.
Informal enquiries are welcome and should be directed to Dr Sarabeth Buckley (sb2481@cam.ac.uk).
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 5 months in the first instance.
Applications are welcome from internal candidates who would like to apply for the role on the basis of a secondment from their current role in the University.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Please note 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.
Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.
Please quote reference PD35202 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 Associate (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for a post-doctoral research associate in Receptor Evolution to work with Prof Uta Paszkowski at the Crop Science Centre, starting between 1 August and 1 September 2021.
The beneficial interaction of plants with endomycorrhizal fungi commences via mutual recognition in the rhizosphere. We identified a receptor complex that is required for perception of beneficial fungi by plants [Gutjahr, Gobbato et al., Science (2015), Choi et al., Nat Commun 2020], and also for plant development. Preliminary data suggest that the symbiosis signalling ability is a derived and not an ancestral trait. This project seeks to reproduce the evolutionary trajectory in order to define the protein features that condition signalling specificity. The projected work will involve a high-resolution metagenomics approach combined with functional validation in rice. Applicants must have a solid background in plant molecular genetics; available knowledge in basic bioinformatics, running command-line tools and performing data analysis in R or Python would be advantageous.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 28 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 note 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 PD35142 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)
We invite applications for a 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. Funding is available for three years with a flexible start date, and 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 is in need of 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 experience of sterile culture techniques, excellent attention to details, and should have practical experience of laboratory activities and equipment as well as knowledge of laboratory processes.
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.
Please note 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 PD35010 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 Pellegrini Lab (https://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/directory/adam-pellegrini) is recruiting for a postdoc position (2.5 years) investigating ecosystem responses to altered fire and grazing regimes in global drylands. The research will consist of visiting research sites in North America, Africa, Australia, and South America, measuring plants and soils periodically over two years (e.g., measurements of plant NPP, soil greenhouse gas fluxes, nitrogen mineralization), and performing several biogeochemical measurements in the lab. This will involve travel and lodging in field locations for multiple months each year. The field and lab work will be supported by a full-time technician. Lab analyses include physiological traits of leaves and roots and soil properties and processes (e.g., carbon isotopes, density fractionations, microbial activity).
This position is part of a larger project aiming to revise how carbon offsets are measured, modelled, and traded. The postdoc will work closely with another postdoc developing complementary ecosystem models, a PhD student on data synthesis, and companies involved in carbon credit markets. Skills required: Experience with fieldwork and measurements of plant and soils. Experience with lab analyses of plant traits and soil biogeochemistry.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2.5 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 note 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 PD34980 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 / Research Assistant (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for post-doctoral research associate to work on a short-term plastid phylogenomics project supervised by Samuel Brockington (Evolution Research Group).
The project will involve assembling and analysing an already generated plastome dataset for some 50-100 species in a South African geophyte genus. The project would aim to take an already established research question and well-developed dataset to publication stage. The researcher would assemble and annotate plastid genomes, curate multi-gene datasets, analyse datasets with a variety of phylogenetic approaches, reconstruct the history of evolutionary traits, generate high quality figures, and assist in the writing and authorship of the publication.
We are looking for applicants with an excellent practical understanding of plastome annotation, phylogenomics, herbarium specimen management, and experience in assembling and analysing multi-gene datasets using a variety of phylogenetic algorithms (e.g. RAXML, BEAST). Experience in generating high quality figures and writing manuscripts on species phylogeny would be very beneficial. Knowledge of the biology of geophyte plants would be highly desirable.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 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 note 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 PD34968 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 in Molecular Genetics (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for postdoctoral research associate in molecular genetics, working with David Baulcombe and his group in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge. The positions are BBSRC funded for 12 months, starting as soon as possible.
Analysis of the epigenome in tomato
The BBSRC funded project to extends earlier work on epigenetics and heritable patterns of gene expression in tomato. In recent work, we describe the effects of a cmt3 mutation in tomato that removes a subset of the epigenetic marks in both pericentric and distal regions of the tomato chromosomes.
In the current project we aim to identify genome features that influence the establishment and maintenance of epigenetic marks. What defines the loci that have stable epigenetic marks from those with either unstable marks or that are do not have either DNA methylation or chromatin modifications?
The proposed work will involve extensive and detailed characterization of the epigenome and patterns of gene expression in tomato lines derived from cmt3 mutants using molecular and computational approaches. The analysis will include a multiple correspondence analysis in order to classify the epigenome in terms of struct features or combinations of features that correlate with epigenetic marks
We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a background in genetics and molecular biology. A high level of bioinformatic and statistical skill is essential. The project uses plant virus vectors for expression and silencing and relevant previous experience would be helpful. Familiarity with the general field of epigenetics would be an asset.
The vacancy arises because a current postdoc has an alternative career development opportunity. They have generated exciting preliminary data and there is an opportunity to extend these findings for early publication.
The successful candidate should be capable of working independently on this project, whilst integrated into an interactive and supportive research group. Together with PI David Baulcombe they will supervise a research technician.
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 note 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 PD34939 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)
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral vacancy in Virology. The successful candidate will join a multi-disciplinary team based at the Department of Plant Sciences in central Cambridge (https://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/directory/john-carr). The successful candidate will aid in two lines of investigation. The primary investigation focuses on the properties of dicistroviruses. These positive-sense RNA viruses are insect-pathogenic agents with potential in protection of plants against insect pests. The secondary investigation focuses on the characterisation of gene expression of plant endornaviruses, which are RNA viruses that may confer benefits on their hosts. The optimal candidate would be a virologist with experience working with animal (preferably invertebrate) viruses in cell culture systems, and with experience in molecular biological techniques, including gene cloning and studies of viral gene expression in vivo and in vitro.
Candidates will be expected to hold a PhD, or equivalent qualification in virology, cell biology or microbiology. Prior experience in plant virology is not required. The successful candidate will be primarily based in the Plant Sciences Department but will carry out some procedures in the Pathology Department in collaboration with Dr Betty Chung (https://www.path.cam.ac.uk/directory/betty-chung). The candidate will be expected to conduct collaborative research; write up research work for presentation and publication; plan the use of research resources as appropriate; assist when needed in the supervision of student projects; provide instruction to students and deliver seminars relating to their research areas.
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 note 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 PD34900 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.
