Catering Assistant (Fixed Term)
The Department of Biochemistry, a large and flourishing academic community that enjoys a world-class reputation for both teaching and research, is embedded in the School of the Biological Sciences. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and efficient individual to join the Department as a Catering Assistant within our existing catering team. The Departmental Catering Service provides a full catering and tearoom service to the Department's two buildings in Tennis Court Road - the Sanger and the Hopkins buildings.
Duties of the role holder will include setting up and clearing down of service areas, helping with basic food preparation tasks, serving of food, operating tills, cleaning, re-stocking, monitoring and recording food temperatures, and similar tasks expected in a small catering facility.
The successful candidate will join a large and friendly professional services support team, and have a positive and customer-service focused attitude, with good communication skills, ability to work independently and as part of a team and be able to prioritise their workload and maintain high standards. Previous experience is desirable but not essential. Full training will be provided.
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.
Informal enquiries can be sent to the Facilities Supervisor, Steve Godby (sjg86@cam.ac.uk) or Debbie Canham (dac77@cam.ac.uk).
For any questions about this vacancy or the application process please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35908 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- Biophysics Facility Support Scientist (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in a unique split research/facility support role. The post is jointly funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (https://www.bioc.cam.ac.uk/research/dupree) and the Department of Biochemistry Biophysics Facility (https://www.bioc.cam.ac.uk/research/stott), with the intention that the post-holder acquires and develops outward-facing skills in solution-state NMR and molecular biophysics, in order to support the cutting-edge research of the Dupree and Stott labs, with particular focus on the use of NMR spectroscopy and molecular biophysics for the study of carbohydrates and disordered proteins. The post holder will also support others in the wider Department and beyond, with opportunities for research and development of key techniques, as required.
Applicants should hold a PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related discipline, with skills in at least two of: protein chemistry/biochemistry, carbohydrate chemistry/biochemistry, biophysical methods or structural biology. Specific experience in any of the following techniques is desirable but not essential: expression and purification of recombinant proteins, NMR spectroscopy, biophysical binding assays (e.g. surface plasmon resonance, calorimetry), circular dichroism, scattering methods and fluorescence microscopy. The appointee will benefit from the excellent facilities and rich learning environment of the https://facilities.bioc.cam.ac.uk/biophysics, in which they will be based.
Fixed-term: The appointment is for three years in the first instance, but could be extended subject to suitable collaborations and available funds.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
For informal enquiries can be sent to Dr Stott: ks123@cam.ac.uk and Professor Dupree: pd101@cam.ac.uk
For any questions about this vacancy or the application process please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35898 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 bacterial membrane proteomics (Fixed Term)
We are looking for a Postdoctoral researcher to apply proteomics technologies to an ancient universal bacterial membrane effector system.
The post is a key part of a major 5-year BBSRC sLoLa award to understand an ancient universal membrane effector system, and tackle outstanding question of how members of the microbial IM30 protein family function to protect biological membranes from different stresses and stop dissipation of electrochemical gradients. Our understanding of this fundamental and ancient system underpins many areas of research including industrial biotechnology, antimicrobial resistance and virulence of human pathogens. The project is a collaboration involving multidisciplinary teams: Universities of York (Gavin Thomas, Jamie Blaza, Luke Mackinder, Ben Willson), Cambridge (Kathryn Lilley), Nottingham (Boyan Bonev), Newcastle (Henrik Strahl), Mainz (Susanne Gebhard)
We are seeking to employ a post-doctoral research associate (PDRA) based in the laboratory of Prof. Kathryn Lilley, Cambridge Centre for Proteomics (CCP), University of Cambridge. This PDRA will be involved in quantitative proteomics measurements, interrogation of the phosphorylation status of IM30 family membranes, and interactions of these proteins using proximity labelling and application of SMALP technology (doi: 10.7554/eLife.74322). CCP is equipped with cutting-edge mass spectrometry equipment and its research focus is the development and application of methodologies at the interface of cell biology and proteomics'
We particularly encourage candidates to apply who have a strong background in membrane proteomics, subcellular fractionation, and mass spectrometry. Experience with the application of proteomics informatics tools is also desirable.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 48 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.
For informal enquiries can be sent to Professor Lilley: k.s.lilley@bioc.cam.ac.uk
For any questions about this vacancy or the application process please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35886 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 research team of Professor Laura Machesky is seeking to recruit a postdoctoral fellow with a background and interest in cancer research and cell biology for a multidisciplinary project.
The candidate would join an international team of biologists studying cell migration, mechanosensing and the molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis. This project is funded by Cancer Research UK as a part of a programme investigating how the microenvironment contributes to progression and metastasis of pancreatic cancer. We are interested in how the stresses of the microenvironment- such as changes in the mechanical properties of the matrix and starvation for nutrients can drive cancer cells to become more aggressive. We are also studying how cancer cells can fuel their survival and migration even in nutrient poor conditions using macropinocytosis to switch to alternative nutrient sources. Macropinocytosis also regulates signaling, via trafficking of surface receptors on cells. Many cancer types show enhanced macropinocytic uptake, which is driven by enhanced RAS signaling and in particular, KRAS, which drives the vast majority of pancreatic cancers.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 36 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.
For informal enquiries can be sent to Karen Condie: lmm202sec@bioc.cam.ac.uk
For any questions about this vacancy or the application process please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35840 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 research team of Professor Paul Dupree is recruiting a postdoctoral associate in the area of fungal cell wall biology. We are looking for a team member to lead a new project researching the structure of the cell walls of the fungus Cryptococcus, and wall remodelling by action of an endogenous enzyme.
We are an international, supportive and collaborative research group. Most of our ongoing research is in the area of plant cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis, function, structural analysis and enzymatic breakdown. We are part of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, providing a strong intellectual background for world class plant and biomedical research. We have access to excellent facilities for experimental work.
We are looking for a team member to lead a new project on the structure of the cell walls of the fungus Cryptococcus, and wall remodelling by action of an endogenous enzyme. The project is in collaboration with Dr K Stott in the Department of Biochemistry and Profs K Johansen (Copenhagen, DK) and A Alspaugh (Duke, USA). The project will involve a range of biochemical analytical techniques including NMR.
A suitable candidate will have completed a PhD in a relevant subject, and have demonstrated research impact and have experience in working with Cryptococcus, fungal cell walls or polysaccharide analysis.
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.
For informal enquiries can be sent to Professor Paul Dupree: pd101@cam.ac.uk
For any questions about this vacancy or the application process please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35516 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. We will support any successful international applicant to obtain the necessary visa for work in the UK.
Research Associate in structure-guided drug discovery (Fixed Term)
We are looking for an experienced structural biologist to work on a collaborative project with Apollo Therapeutics to develop inhibitors against an exciting new cancer target.
The postholder will be responsible for establishing crystallographic platform for fragment-based and structure-guided drug discovery campaign, to validate the binding mode of existing inhibitors and of new hit molecules from our own screens. They will also be performing fragment screens on the target and validate hit molecules using biophysical methods.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available from the 1st June 2023 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.
For informal enquiries can be sent to Professor Marko Hyvonen mh256@cam.ac.uk
For any questions about this vacancy or the application process please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35602 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.
Safety & Compliance Co-ordinator
The Department of Biochemistry, a large and flourishing academic community that enjoys a world-class reputation for both teaching and research, is embedded in the School of the Biological Sciences. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and efficient individual to join the Department in the new role of Safety & Compliance Co-ordinator - a key member of the Department's body of professional services staff.
Based in a busy and friendly professional services team, and reporting to the Technical & Scientific Operations Manager, the successful candidate will join a small team of operational professionals to underpin the Department's performance and reputation as a modern, progressive academic teaching and research institution.
The successful candidate will undertake a role that is fundamental to the co-ordination and monitoring of departmental safety procedures, assisting with fire management responsibilities and supporting senior staff in adherence to statutory and regulatory compliance.
An excellent communicator, they will co-ordinate the efficient running of health and safety related issues on behalf of the Technical & Scientific Operations Manager to ensure smooth and safe running of all activities in support of research and teaching across the Department, including line managing a Health & Safety Technician, and co-ordinating health and safety guidance training documents, workshops, and training sessions for all members of the Department.
The role is varied, offering plenty of opportunity and scope to excel in various areas of administrative and operational support, allowing for the opportunity to hone and develop a diverse skill set.
Ideally educated to degree level or equivalent, the ideal candidate will be able to work on their own initiative, be well organised in prioritising their work, be flexible in their approach and have excellent communication and IT skills along with a strong sense of team playing and working flexibly across a varied workload.
The closing date for this position is 19th March 2023 with interviews expected to be held during week commencing 27th March 2023.
The Department reserves the right to close the recruitment early should a suitable candidate be identified sooner.
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact: personnel@bioc.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.
Informal enquiries about this vacancy should be directed to the Technical & Scientific Operations Manager, Dr Katy Pitts, at kep56@cam.ac.uk
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35564 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.
Building Services Assistant
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic individual to join the Building Services Team in the Department of Biochemistry in an 'all-round' and career-developmental position.
The successful applicant will join a team of four staff under the guidance of the Building Services Manager. The duties are to support the teaching and research within the Department by providing a front-line service across all building services. The successful applicant will be guided by a team who monitor plant and equipment, respond to breakdowns, conduct minor plumbing and building repairs/alterations, carry out a range of routine and planned maintenance and minor building works.
The Biochemistry Department is very busy with varied research activities, using complex plant to maintain the correct environment for researchers and equipment. The Department occupies two main buildings, both being highly serviced with a large amount of plant equipment and several laboratories. The successful candidate will be expected to familiarise themselves with the numerous plant rooms, to show engineers and contractors, when needed, where equipment has failed.
The successful applicant will be able to work in a team, be computer literate, have good attention to detail, understand the need for robust record keeping and adherence to health and safety guidelines. Communication and interpersonal skills are essential as they will be dealing with many different types of personnel both within the University and with outside contractors.
A working knowledge of building trades - electrical, mechanical, carpentry or decoration - would be desirable, but training will be provided. The most important requisite is a positive, problem-solving and 'can-do' attitude, and willingness to learn. Candidates should be motivated and be able to work alone or as part of a team, as needs of the service require.
Interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 20th March 2023.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Informal enquiries about this vacancy should be directed to the Building Services Manager, Roger Biamonti, at: rb686@cam.ac.uk
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35502 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.
Communications & Engagement Co-ordinator
The Department of Biochemistry, a large and flourishing academic community that enjoys a world-class reputation for both teaching and research, is embedded in the School of the Biological Sciences. A new and exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and enthusiastic communications specialist to join the Department as Communications & Engagement Co-ordinator.
Based in a busy and friendly professional services team, and reporting to Departmental Administrator & General Manager, the successful candidate will take responsibility for internal and external facing departmental communications in order to raise the profile and impact of research activity to diverse internal and external audiences and stakeholders, by producing high-quality and engaging digital and social media content that enhances the Department's image and reputation as a modern, progressive academic teaching and research institution.
In collaboration with key stakeholders, the successful candidate will play an important role in developing the Department's communications and engagement strategy, and will design, write, and publish articles about the Department's work, manage its website, social media presence, and monitor press coverage across all outlets. They will also ensure that the Department's outreach activity delivers a two-way dialogue between researchers and participants, collaborating in University-wide public engagement initiatives.
With a flair for publicity and an eye for creative detail, the successful candidate will plan new content, write excitedly about our science and other activities, identify outreach opportunities, and forge relationships with our teaching & learning and research communities, telling their stories to a diverse audience.
Educated first degree level or equivalent, the ideal applicant will be able experienced in organising public engagement activities and communicating professionally and widely. Knowledge of, or interest in, the biological sciences would be advantageous.
The closing date for this position is 19th March 2023. However, the Department reserves the right to close the recruitment early should a suitable candidate be identified sooner.
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.
Informal enquiries about this vacancy should be directed to the Departmental Administrator & General Manager, Dr Katherine Wallington, at da@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35505 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.
Receptionist & Administrative Assistant
The Department of Biochemistry, a large and flourishing academic community that enjoys a world-class reputation for both teaching and research, is embedded in the School of the Biological Sciences. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and efficient individual to join the Department as Receptionist & Administrative Assistant - a key member of the Department's Secretariat team.
Based in a busy and friendly professional services team, and reporting to the PA to the Head of Department, the successful candidate will join a dynamic and dedicated team of reception, clerical and general administrative support specialists who work as a team to underpin the Department's performance and reputation as a modern, progressive academic teaching and research institution.
The successful candidate will provide a friendly and welcoming front of house service to staff, students and visitors to the Department of Biochemistry across its two main sites in Tennis Court Road at the Hopkins and the Sanger Buildings. Routine reception duties (responding to calls, distributing mail, issuing keys and access cards, supporting security and safety procedures etc.) are enhanced by the opportunity to explore a wider range of administrative tasks. These may include assisting with the support of departmental committee business, helping with general administrative tasks, and being involved in departmental event planning, organisation and promotion. There is plenty of opportunity and scope to excel in various areas of administrative support, allowing for the opportunity to hone and develop a diverse skill set.
Overall, this is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to be central to the smooth running of departmental operations and governance by providing an efficient, friendly and 'can-do' front of house and administrative support service.
Educated to at least GSCE-level or equivalent, the ideal candidate will be able to work on their own initiative, be well organised in prioritising their work, be flexible in their approach and have excellent communication and IT skills along with a strong sense of team playing and working flexibly across a varied workload.
The closing date for this position is 20th February 2023 with interviews expected to be held on 28th February 2023.
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact: personnel@bioc.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.
Informal enquiries about this vacancy should be directed to the Departmental Administrator & General Manager, Dr Katherine Wallington, at: da@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH35152 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 research team of Professor Laura Machesky is seeking to recruit a postdoctoral fellow with a background in physics and/or cell biology for a multidisciplinary project.
The candidate would join an international team of biologists studying cell migration, mechanosensing and the molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis. This project is funded by the Human Frontier Scientific Program Organization (HFSPO) and is a part of a joint programme with groups in Japan and USA. Our goal is to build a scanning ion conductance microscope (SICM) and use it to study how cells couple their migration with energetic demands. Cells can adapt their migration machinery for nutrient uptake and perform macropinocytosis during starvation conditions. Little is understood about the properties of macropinocytic structures and new advances in the technology of SICM provide an opportunity to study the structure, mechanical properties and dynamics of this process.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 30 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.
Informal enquiries can be sent to Karen Condie: lmm202sec@bioc.cam.ac.uk
For any questions relating to the vacancy or the application process please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH34970 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.
Building Services Technician
An experienced Building Services Technician is required to work in the University of Cambridge, Department of Biochemistry.
The successful applicant will join a team of four staff under the guidance of the Building Services Manager. The duties are to support the teaching and research within the Department by providing a front-line service. They will monitor plant and equipment, respond to breakdowns, conduct minor plumbing and building repairs/alterations, carry out a range of routine and planned maintenance and minor building works as directed.
The Biochemistry Department is very busy with varied research activities, using complex plant to maintain the correct environment for researchers and equipment. The Department occupies two main buildings, both being highly serviced with a large amount of plant equipment and several laboratories. The successful candidate will be expected to familiarise themselves with the numerous plant rooms, to show engineers and contractors where equipment has failed. The successful applicant will be able to work in a team, be computer literate and with good attention to detail. Communication and interpersonal skills are essential as you will be dealing with many different types of personnel both within the University and outside contractors.
Candidates should have a working knowledge of the building trade ¿ electrical, mechanical, carpentry, decoration etc. They should have experience of general maintenance including building plumbing and electrical systems. An electrical or PAT testing qualification is essential.
The successful candidate will have a knowledge of building construction and decorating techniques along with safe working practices, and be thoroughly familiar with building electrical and plumbing systems, and maintenance procedures. They will be motivated and be able to work alone or as part of a team.
Interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 23rd January 2023.
To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply' button below. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.
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 enquiries about this vacancy should be directed to the Building Services Manager, Roger Biamonti, at: rb686@cam.ac.uk
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH34934 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 a Postdoctoral researcher to apply proteomics technologies to decipher how SUMOylation enables plants to adapt to their environment - SUMOCode.
The post is a key part of a major 5-year BBSRC sLoLa award to understand the role of the SUMO post-translational modification in guiding plant adaptation. The project is a collaboration between Universities of Cambridge (Kathryn Lilley), Durham (Ari Sadanandom), Liverpool (Andy Jones) and Nottingham (Malcolm Bennett).
We are seeking to employ a post-doctoral research associate (PDRA) based in the laboratory of Prof. Kathryn Lilley, Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge.
This PDRA will be involved in an exciting programme of research to determine the interaction partners of the plant SUMO machinery and its dynamic response to stress via oxidation as part of a major 5-year BBSRC sLoLa award to understand the role of the SUMO post-translational modification in guiding plant adaptation.
The project is a collaboration between Universities of Cambridge (Kathryn Lilley), Durham (Ari Sadanandom), Liverpool (Andy Jones) and Nottingham (Malcolm Bennett). The PDRA will also investigate the spatial organisation of SUMOylated proteome, both in terms of cell type specificity and sub-cellular distribution. Results arising from this investigation will be integrated with the phenomics, ionomics and imaging data generated by our research partners to generate the first of its kind, SUMO Cell Atlas, and decipher the SUMO-code syntax in guiding plant adaptation (Arabidopsis and rice).
We particularly encourage candidates to apply who have a strong background in plant cell biology, plant proteomics, subcellular fractionation, and mass spectrometry. Experience with the application of proteomics informatics tools is also desirable.
The overall team will involve plant biologists, omics experts and informaticians across the four institutions.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 36 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.
For informal enquiries can be sent to Professor Kathryn Lilley: k.s.lilley@bioc.cam.ac.uk
For any questions about this vacancy or the application process please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH34907 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 characterisation of plastic degrading enzymes (Fixed Term)
We are looking for postdoctoral research associate to join the group of Marko Hyvönen (https://hyvonen.bioc.cam.ac.uk) at the Department of Biochemistry on a BBSRC-funded sLOLA project to identify and characterise new plastic degrading enzymes, "plastizymes". The postholder will be part of a multidisciplinary project lead by Professor Florian Hollfelder, with collaborating groups from University of Cambridge, University College London and EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute. This collaboration aims to find novel plastic-degrading enzymes from metagenomic libraries and use ultrahigh-throughput directed evolution in microdroplets to improve their catalytic properties.
The postholder will be in charge of the development of efficient production methods for the new enzymes, for their structural characterisation and for elucidation of interactions of the enzymes with their polymeric substrates using libraries of small molecule substrate analogues.
A successful candidate would be expected to have a significant expertise in different expression systems (eg E. coli, yeast, baculovirus) and production of proteins in high quality. Expertise in structural biology techniques, X-ray crystallography in particular, will be essential for successful execution of this role. Experience with cryo-EM and NMR would be advantageous as would be previous experience with small molecule drug discovery and fragment-based approaches. Skills in scripting and automation of computational workflows would be advantageous. Previous experience in enzymology would be beneficial.
Candidates is expected to have a PhD in Biochemistry, Chemistry or related field. They should be enthusiastic about collaborative and interdisciplinary research, the use of innovative technologies, productive, and highly motivated to develop as independent scientists. The applicants must have a demonstrable track record of excellent written and oral communication, along with the ability to clearly and concisely convey results to audiences with varying technical expertise. The applicant must have good organisational skills to manage the data coming from diverse experiments across several target enzymes.
The position is available from 1st March for 3 years in the first instance.
Applicants should provide a CV with a publication list and a cover letter stating motivation for applying for this position and skills they will bring to the project.
Informal enquiries can be sent to Prof Marko Hyvönen (mh256@cam.ac.uk).
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH34742 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 the discovery of Plastic-degrading Enzymes (Fixed Term)
A postdoctoral position is available for 12 months (in the first instance, extension possible) from 1 March 2023 to work with Florian Hollfelder at the Biochemistry Department of Cambridge University (http://www.bioc.cam.ac.uk/hollfelder). The project is a close collaboration with the groups of Christine Orengo/UCL (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/orengo-group/people/prof-christine-orengo), Rob Finn/EBI (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/about/people/rob-finn) and Marko Hyvonen (https://hyvonen.bioc.cam.ac.uk/)
Our project objective is to identify new plastic-degrading enzymes in an interdisciplinary approach that take advantage of the vast amount of metagenomic sequencing data available, algorithms for classifying proteins into evolutionary and functional families and experimental ultrahigh throughput screening in microfluidic droplets. Candidate enzymes are mechanistically investigated, structurally characterised and improved by directed evolution.
Applicants should thus have a first (or upper second) class degree in (bio)chemistry or a related, relevant subject, followed by a PhD. Familiarity with molecular and chemical biology techniques and specific skills in assay development, enzyme kinetics, DNA library generation, organic synthesis, high-throughput screening, mechanistic enzymology and microfluidics are advantages. An interest in interdisciplinary collaboration on structural biology and bioinformatics is crucial. Applications should contain a description of research interests (e.g. as part of the cover letter), a detailed CV (with exam marks and all relevant practical experience) and a list of publications. Please also include the names and email addresses of at least two referees, who are familiar with your research work.
Literature: Neun, S.; Brear, P.; Campbell, E.; Tryfona, T.; El Omari, K.; Wagner, A.; Dupree, P.; Hyvonen, M.; Hollfelder, F. Functional metagenomic screening identifies an unexpected beta-glucuronidase. Nat Chem Biol 2022, 18, 1096-1103. Gantz, M.; Aleku, G. A.; Hollfelder, F. Ultrahigh-throughput screening in microfluidic droplets: a faster route to new enzymes. Trends Biochem Sci 2022, 47, 451-452. Scheele, R. A.; Lindenburg, L. H.; Petek, M.; Schober, M.; Dalby, K. N.; Hollfelder, F. Droplet-based screening of phosphate transfer catalysis reveals how epistasis shapes MAP kinase interactions with substrates. Nat Commun 2022, 13, 844. Holstein, J. M.; Gylstorff, C.; Hollfelder, F. Cell-free Directed Evolution of a Protease in Microdroplets at Ultrahigh Throughput. ACS Synth Biol 2021, 10, 252-257. Zurek, P. J.; Hours, R.; Schell, U.; Pushpanath, A.; Hollfelder, F. Growth amplification in ultrahigh-throughput microdroplet screening increases sensitivity of clonal enzyme assays and minimizes phenotypic variation. Lab Chip 2021, 21, 163-173. Zurek, P. J.; Knyphausen, P.; Neufeld, K.; Pushpanath, A.; Hollfelder, F. UMI-linked consensus sequencing enables phylogenetic analysis of directed evolution. Nat Commun 2020, 11, 6023. Emond, S.; Petek, M.; Kay, E. J.; Heames, B.; Devenish, S. R. A.; Tokuriki, N.; Hollfelder, F. Accessing unexplored regions of sequence space in directed enzyme evolution via insertion/deletion mutagenesis. Nat Commun 2020, 11, 3469
The funds are available for 12 months in the first instance with a possible extension.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Informal enquiries can be sent to Professor Florian Hollfelder: fl111@cam.ac.uk
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PH34748 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.
