Research Assistant (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for a Research Assistant in the group of Dr. Renske Vroomans (https://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/research/vroomans-group), at the Sainsbury Laboratory (SLCU), Cambridge University, to study the evolution of petal patterning in collaboration with Dr. Edwige Moyroud.
The overall aim of this position is to use the computational model developed in the Vroomans team to predict gene regulatory interactions that govern the early patterning of the Hibiscus bullseye. The model will subsequently be expanded to delve deeper into bullseye evolution, to predict which genes are most likely to be affected by selection for altered size.
As successful candidate, you will develop computational tools such as Python scripts to analyse simulation data to make predictions and uncover general evolutionary trends. To adapt the available code, some basic knowledge of C++ is required. You will be provided with computational resources and support and will be able to team up with PhD and Masters' students using related models to study other aspects of plant evolution. You will also interact directly with experimentalists who will generate data to test model predictions.
For this project, you must have a background in Computational Science and Biological research, e.g. through a computational biology course with a biology or computer science background.
Some knowledge of evolution and/or evolutionary algorithms is desirable.
You will be fully involved in the basic research whilst also writing up the research work for presentation and publication. A collaborative attitude is a must.
The Laboratory provides a welcoming and collaborative environment with a wide-range of family-friendly benefits and development opportunities. More about the Sainsbury Laboratory, generic further information for the role and details of what the University offers to employees, can be found at: http://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/.
It is essential that you include a motivational letter in your application.
This position is available immediately.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 December 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.
Scientific enquiries apart from the formal application should be directed to Dr Renske Vroomans at renske.vroomans@slcu.cam.ac.uk.
For questions regarding the application process, please email HR@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT39546 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) - (Internal applications only)
Applications are invited for the position of Research Laboratory Technician at the Sainsbury Laboratory. The successful applicant will work in Dr Sebastian Schornack's group: https://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/research/schornack-group
Previous experience in the following areas is of an advantage: experiment planning, data recording and documentation, data interpretation together with a more senior scientist, DNA extraction, PCR, molecular cloning, mini preps, Gateway recombination cloning, light microscopy, confocal microscopy, hairy root transformation of legumes, plant tissue culture, maintenance of fungal, oomycete and bacterial cultures, transient Agrobacterium mediated expression in Nicotiana benthamiana, image analysis using Fiji/ImageJ, Quantification of fungal root colonisation.
The successful applicant will also present their work during lab meetings and on posters to the wider institute. We also encourage members of the Group to engage in the outreach activities of SLCU.
We are looking for someone educated to A-Level, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent who can demonstrate knowledge of the facts, principles, processes and general concepts related to laboratory technician work. The ideal candidate will have a high level of precision and accuracy and good communication skills. They will also have previous experience of laboratory technician/biological scientific research work.
More information about SLCU is available here: https://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 August 2024 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.
For questions regarding the application process, please email HR@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT39461 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.
Glasswashing and Media Technician (Part Time) - Internal only
Applications are invited for the position of Glasswashing and Media Technician in the Sainsbury Laboratory. This role is a key member of the laboratory team and provides an essential core service to the Laboratory. This service includes:
Processing dirty glassware and providing clean glassware, suitable for research activities, including sterilisation if needed;
Maintaining adequate stocks of glassware and plasticware, including sterile stocks; Preparing standard solutions, media and associated items;
Keeping adequate stocks of media items for research groups;
Autoclaving items solutions, and laboratory waste;
Maintaining equipment and facilities in good order and spotless condition;
Record keeping of stocks and usage.
Our ideal candidate will have extensive experience in a laboratory environment and experience of preparation of sterile solutions and glasswashing and will be educated to at least GCSE level (or equivalent) in Maths, English and Science. They must be able to follow complicated instructions and demonstrate good judgement and have an ability to prioritise tasks as and when required. They should also have the ability to work both as part of a team and independently and be able to adapt to switching between different activities and locations as needed. An awareness of health and safety is essential.
This opportunity is open to current University of Cambridge employees.
Limited funding: The funds for this post are available until 31 December 2026 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.
For questions regarding the application process, please email HR@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT39189 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 in Physical Biology x 2 (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for 2 Post-doctoral Research Assistant/Associate positions in the group of Dr. Francois Nedelec at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU). This call is open to carry out fundamental research in the field of physical biology, specifically studying mitotic spindle assembly and chromosome segregation. This post is funded by a prestigious ERC Synergy project BioMecaNet in collaboration with the experimental groups of Andrea Musacchio (MPI of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, DE) and Thomas Surrey (CRG, Barcelona, SP).
The project's primary focus is the comprehensive analysis of the fundamental mechanisms underlying chromosome segregation, employing advanced mathematical models and computer simulations. The research will concentrate on two key areas: first, the exploration of the cell cycle as a dynamic reaction-diffusion system governing critical division events, and second, a thorough investigation into the mechanics of the cytoskeleton, particularly in relation to the formation of a functional bipolar mitotic spindle.
A central goal of the project is to integrate intricate microtubule mechanics and cellular chemistry into the modeling process, with a specific aim to develop physically accurate simulations of chromosome bi-orientation and segregation. This position is designed to facilitate a profound synergy between experimental data and modeling approaches, offering numerous exciting collaborative opportunities aimed at fostering the development of pioneering models.
Applicants should have or be close to obtaining a Ph.D. in computational biology, physics, applied mathematics, computer science or related field and have a proven track record of scientific publication. Prior experience in modelling of biological systems, or expertise in systems biology and/or theoretical biophysics, in general, would be advantageous. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to develop skills in mathematical modelling, advanced numerical simulations and machine learning.
Fully involved in the basic research in these areas whilst also writing up their research work for presentation and publication, the post holder will have the opportunity to assist in the supervision of student projects, and to engage in teaching if desired. Good and effective communication skills are essential (e.g. presentations, outreach activities).
The Laboratory provides a welcoming and collaborative environment with a wide-range of family-friendly benefits and development opportunities. More about the Sainsbury Laboratory and details of what the University offers to employees, can be found at: http://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/ Where a PhD has yet to be awarded the appointment will initially be made at Research Assistant level and amended to Research Associate upon the award of 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.
Scientific enquiries apart from the formal application should be directed to Dr Francois Nedelec - Francois.Nedelec@slcu.cam.ac.uk
For questions regarding the application process, please email HR@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT39155 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 Manager
Join our Team
Are you ready to start a stimulating new chapter at a prominent scientific research institute based within the prestigious University of Cambridge? The Sainsbury Laboratory invites you to join our friendly and dynamic professional administrative team where you will oversee all aspects of human resources management for the Institute.
Why choose us?
The Sainsbury Laboratory is a thriving institute focused on plant developmental biology and computational modeling. It is home to some 150 researchers, 30 professional staff, and a steady stream of students and visitors. As the HR Manager you will have a unique opportunity to contribute to the Institute's success, make an impact, gain valuable experience within a vibrant community and further develop your career in a stimulating and fast-paced environment. The University also offers extensive professional development opportunities and generous holiday allowances.
Key Responsibilities
- Comprehensive HR Services: You'll develop, implement and deliver a comprehensive, proactive and reactive HR service to the Institute, ensuring it aligns with the Institute's HR strategy;
- Policy and Best Practice: You'll uphold the highest HR standards by adhering to the University's HR policy and best practices;
- Variety and Challenges: Your role will involve managing complex and sensitive personal matters supporting the Institute's staff. Every day is varied and the role is interesting and challenging;
- Teamwork and Collaboration: You'll be an integral part of our professional administrative team and collaborate with academics, researchers, professional staff, students, and visitors.
Who we are looking for
- Substantial HR experience, preferably in a large Higher Education Institution;
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills;
- Problem-solving and service-oriented approach with a keen eye for detail;
- Ability to work independently and in a team, self-reliance;
- Proactive approach to troubleshooting and problem-solving;
Experience in ensuring confidentiality with tact and discretion.
Qualifications
Educated to degree level or equivalent experience;
- A CIPD qualification level 5 or equivalent.
Hybrid Work
We support hybrid working, however, we do expect our HR Manager to be on-site for a minimum of two to three days per week.
The position is available immediately.
The funds for this post are available for 2 years 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.
For questions about this vacancy please email HR@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT39093 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)
Applications are invited for a Research Assistant position in the group of Dr Katharina Schiessl at the Sainsbury Laboratory (SLCU). SLCU is an exciting interdisciplinary research institute focused on understanding of the regulatory systems underlying plant growth and development. It brings together specialists in biological, physical, and mathematical sciences integrating a range of wet-lab experimental research with computational modelling.
The successful candidate will join a new research group that investigates plant organ development in the context of plant microbe-interactions, focusing on responses to parasitic and beneficial colonizers. We are looking for a person who is excited about the question of how plant organs of diverse form and function can be generated in response parasitic and beneficial colonisers.
A major part of the job will involve generating, maintaining, and organizing plant lines and colonizing organisms for colonization assays. Therefore, we are seeking a candidate with demonstrable expertise in the management and care of plant-microbe interactions, in particular with skills in tissue culture and working under sterile conditions. Experience in working with root-knot nematodes and/or rhizobial bacteria would be desirable as well as in microscopy and molecular biology techniques. The candidate should also have a willingness and ability to learn and work with new methodologies.
The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree in plant biology or related fields. Good organisational skills are required. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential, alongside the ability to work independently and with others, with a high degree of accuracy including outstanding record keeping.
More information about SLCU can be found here: https://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/
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.
Scientific enquiries should be directed to Katharina Schiessl at: katharina.schiessl@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Enquiries about the application process can be directed to hr@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT38742 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 position in the group of Professor James Locke at the Sainsbury Laboratory, to carry out fundamental research in the field of cyanobacterial systems biology. The project will focus on understanding cyanobacterial gene regulation at the single-cell level, with a focus on the circadian clock. The project will use single-cell time-lapse microscopy and modelling to examine the functional benefits of the circadian clock in individual cyanobacterial cells. The project requires both experimental and quantitative skills.
The Locke group encourages a collaborative and open research approach and has a strong record of training interdisciplinary postdocs to gain group leader positions. Applicants must have a PhD in Systems Biology, Biology, Physics, or related field and have expertise in experimental systems biology.
Successful candidates will have experience in molecular biology approaches such as CRISPR, time-lapse microscopy and assays for gene expression, as well as experience of quantitative analysis of data. Experience in MATLAB, R or an equivalent software package is essential. Knowledge of theoretical approaches such as computational modelling is also essential. A publication (either in a journal or deposited on a preprint server) in the field of systems biology is required.
Good communication skills are essential as the post holder will need to work well in a team and collaborate with other researchers in the Institute. Candidates should also demonstrate a history of science communication (e.g. presentations, outreach activities, teaching).
Information about the Sainsbury Laboratory can be found at: http://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk
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.
Informal scientific enquiries should be directed to Professor Locke at: James.Locke@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Enquiries about the application process can be directed to hr@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT38588 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.
Events Assistant
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Sainsbury Laboratory as Events Assistant.
This varied administrative role, supports the Sainsbury Laboratory Events and Outreach Manager with arranging a busy programme of online and in-person seminars, conferences, workshops, visits, and staff events, including on occasional evenings and weekends.
The Events Assistant is responsible for organising the logistics of online or in person visits to the Sainsbury Laboratory (SLCU) by external academics, interview candidates and other guests;
They will also help in the production of props, digital and printed materials for a wide range of events and will support the delivery of school and widening participation programmes and SLCU's participation in science festivals, on and off site;
The role holder also assists with the SLCU AV systems and the publication of an internal weekly newsletter.
The Events Assistant works with staff across SLCU, alongside other University departments, external organisations and suppliers.
Candidates must be educated to A-level standard or equivalent and have some office experience, particularly in a busy admin or events setting.
Previous experience in outreach activities as well as an understanding of an academic environment is desirable. The role holder will have excellent IT skills and be proficient in Microsoft Office software; experience with digital media would be an advantage.
The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills, with a positive, service-oriented, can-do attitude. They will be able to work both independently and in a team, with a pro-active approach to troubleshooting and problem solving. Attention to detail, a high level of accuracy and effective time management are essential.
SLCU provides a welcoming and collaborative environment with a wide-range of family-friendly benefits and development opportunities. More about the Sainsbury Laboratory, further information for the role and details of what the University offers to employees, can be found at http://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/careers
The post is full time and available immediately.
Limited funding: The funds for this post are available until 31 December 2026 in the first instance.
Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.
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.
Enquiries about the application process can be directed to hr@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT38461 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)
Applications are invited for a Research Assistant position in the group of Dr Alexander Jones at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge University - https://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/research/jones-group
The cellular dynamics of the plant metabolites underpin plant development and environmental responses. The Jones group at SLCU have extensive experience in probing the functional relationships between metabolites and plant developmental plasticity. The team has engineered a series of high affinity FRET biosensors to track plant hormone dynamics in high resolution, but many metabolites either have no biosensors, existing biosensors that have not been optimised for plants, or existing biosensors in need of improvements or diversification. This post will involve supporting the molecular cloning for a portfolio of cutting-edge biosensor engineering and optimisation projects. The advanced biosensors that will be the output of this role will illuminate previously undetectable cellular and subcellular metabolite patterns in vivo. The position will also take on a leading role in standardising gene parts, other components and procedures to build a 'Biosensor Foundry' that will be shared with the broader community to accelerate the single cell biology revolution.
Applicants must have or be close to obtaining a degree in Plant Biology, Biochemistry, Systems Biology, Genetics, or related field. A solid foundation in molecular biology and in particular gene cloning is strictly required, alongside a willingness and ability to learn and work with new methodologies. We particularly welcome candidates with advanced knowledge of, and a proven track record in, any of the following cloning techniques and concepts: Golden-gate, MoClo, Golden-braid, Mobius, Phytobricks, Gateway, Multi-site Gateway, Error-prone PCR. Additional techniques that would be of added value are FACS, Sort-seq, plant protoplast transfection, Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression, and Arabidopsis thaliana transformation and husbandry. Proficiency in structural biology, plant developmental biology, synthetic biology, protein bioengineering, computational modelling, and confocal imaging and image analysis would also be valuable to the role, but are not essential.
The successful applicant will be an excellent team player, highly solution orientated and self-motivated. Excellent interpersonal skills are essential, alongside the ability to work independently and with others, with a high degree of accuracy including outstanding record keeping. The Jones group is looking for a person keen to work in a highly collaborative set-up and enthusiastic to join our diverse and interdisciplinary team. Solid communication skills are required to interact with group members and other researchers at SLCU with different scientific backgrounds. Candidates should also demonstrate a history of science communication (e.g. presentations, outreach activities, teaching).
The Laboratory provides a welcoming and collaborative environment with a wide-range of family-friendly benefits and development opportunities. More about the Sainsbury Laboratory and details of what the University offers to employees, can be found at: http://www.slcu.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.
Scientific enquiries apart from the formal application should be directed to Dr Jones at alexander.jones@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Enquiries about the application process can be directed to hr@slcu.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PT38228 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.
