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The Sawarkar lab at the MRC Toxicology Unit is looking for a Research Assistant to contribute to its programme on transcriptional changes in the context of stress and neurodegeneration.

The project will use state-of-the-art molecular cell biology technologies, combined with in vivo mouse models, to achieve the final goal of developing novel therapeutics for neurodegeneration.

You will need to hold or be close to completing a Masters' degree in an appropriate field (e.g. Molecular biology) and have relevant experience at an equivalent level, together with demonstrable hands-on experience in RNA splicing/ protein analytical/ cell culture techniques. You will be able to work both independently and as part of a team, have excellent communication, organisational and problem-solving skills and ideally have experience of working on an independent research project. Enthusiasm for working in a diverse inter-disciplinary team is desirable.

The MRC Toxicology Unit is an internationally renowned institution focussed on the delivery of field-changing mechanistic insights into toxicology and disease. The Unit is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including mass spectrometry, microscopy, and bioinformatics, and offers excellent opportunities for scientific career development.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31st August 2026 in the first instance.

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

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact hradmin@mrc-tox.cam.ac.uk

Further information about the Toxicology Unit can be found on our website: https://www.mrc-tox.cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference PU46958 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

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

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

The Tzelepis lab is recruiting a postdoctoral Research Associate to drive our translational work on novel RNA biology of disease (particular focus on solid tumors and neurodegeneration). Our lab focuses on the epitranscriptome-associated roles of stem cell homeostasis and disease. Our approaches include functional genetics, normal and abnormal stem cell cultures, development and characterisation of novel treatments as well as various mouse models of disease.

The postholder will actively contribute to our research and be responsible for ensuring that the Tzelepis laboratory research is competitive and novel. You will be a team player with excellent communication skills and support a variety of experimental procedures, animal handling, imaging and data collection as well as preparing results for publications and grant submissions. The post also entails training students and visiting researchers in techniques and equipment use, as well as instructing correct research conduct.

Our work is highly collaborative, and we operate at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, the Department of Haematology and the wider scientific ecosystem (Babraham campus, Sanger Institute etc.) with access to state-of-the-art equipment and facility support.

Essential requirements are a PhD in a relevant subject and strong expertise in either i) cancer immunology or ii) disease-associated RNA biology.

You will also have experience in either stem-cell/cancer biology, mouse models and/or nucleic acid editing.

For queries regarding this post, please contact Dr Konstantinos Tzelepis, email: kt404@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 basic disclosure (criminal records check) check, a health assessment and a security check.

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

Applicants must have (or be close to obtaining) a PhD.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will initially be appointed as a Research Assistant (Grade 5, Point 38 £34,132) moving to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon confirmation of your PhD award.

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

Closing date: 7th September 2025

Interview date: 17th September 2025

Please quote reference PS46956 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.

With over 70 drop-in and bookable events, Open Cambridge encourages people to discover more about their local history and communities. Taking place over 10 days, here is a preview of some of the events taking place. 

Experience two iconic Cambridge sites this September by booking on to guided tours of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO) and the University of Cambridge’s Senate House. At MRAO, discover more about mysterious dishes which are dotted over the Cambridgeshire countryside. You’ll get up close to the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager as well as see inside some of the control rooms and learn about the unique history of the site and some of the important discoveries made here. In the tours of Senate House, led by the University’s Ceremonial Officer, find out what goes on in this Grade 1 listed building during graduations as well as some of the incredible history the building as played host to.  

Learn about the experiences of over 2000 Cambridgeshire soldiers who were sent last minute by Churchill to the failed defence of Singapore in WWII in a special talk by Lewis Herbert, former Leader of Cambridge City Council. On the 80th anniversary of the release from Japanese Army slavery of our Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOWs) in September 1945, this talk will pay tribute to them and their families, particularly over 800 locally who never made in home - over 4 in every 10. 

This year marks 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen and to celebrate King’s College Library and Archives are hosting an exhibition showcasing first and early editions of the author’s much-loved novels, alongside the autograph manuscript of her unfinished novel Sanditon and treasures highlighting the Austen family’s connection with the College. This one-day event is a rare opportunity to look inside the College’s beautiful early nineteenth-century library designed by the architect William Wilkins. 

Back in May, The Sainsbury Laboratory here in Cambridge were part of a team winning a silver-gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For Open Cambridge, enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the lab, see some of the award-winning display and have a go at some of the interactive activities the team took to Chelsea. 

Try your hand at the world’s fastest growing sport, Padel, in a free 55-minute taster session at the Cambridge University Sports Centre. A fun, sociable mix of tennis and squash, each session is led by a qualified coach and great for beginners, so you’ll learn the rules, try out some shots, and experience what makes padel so popular. 

Cambridge Samaritans will be joining Open Cambridge for the first time this year. For over 60 years, they have been there—day or night—for anyone struggling to cope or in distress, offering a safe space to talk without judgement or pressure. Join a special online event to find out more about the work the charity is doing on the helplines and in the local community and discover Samaritans’ unique approach to supporting those in emotional distress and our work in reducing the number of suicides. 

Also, in the programme for the first time, are two tours of the Biomedical Campus. The first, delivered by Sociologists and residents David Skinner and Will Brown, considers the past, present, and future of the Campus from the perspective of the people who live around it. 

The second tour will explore landmark institutions like Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth Hospitals, the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and AstraZeneca’s global HQ as well as give visitors the opportunity to learn about the upcoming Cancer and Children’s Hospitals, world-first surgeries, and the collaborative spirit that drives breakthroughs from bench to bedside. 

Zoe Smith, Open Cambridge Manager, said: “Each year we’re blessed with such an incredible and unique programme of events. From garden and walking tours, to learning more about some of the amazing work our local community organisations undertake, this year’s programme opening doors to the residents of Cambridge”. 

Jo McPhee, Civic Engagement Manager at the University of Cambridge said: “Open Cambridge is a great way for our University and local communities to come together and celebrate our shared history and incredible stories behind our spaces, places and people. This year’s programme is full of exciting events that bring those stories to life, showcasing the the depth and diversity of our collective heritage.” 

The full Open Cambridge programme can be viewed here: https://www.opencambridge.cam.ac.uk/events. Open Cambridge is part of the national Heritage Open Days. It is designed to offer special access to places that are normally closed to the public or charge admission. The initiative provides an annual opportunity for people to discover the local history and heritage of their community. It is run by the Public Engagement team at the University of Cambridge who also deliver the Cambridge Festival, which takes place each Spring. 

Bookings are now open for Open Cambridge 2025 (12-21 September). This September the public can enjoy tours of College gardens, exhibitions from hidden archives, tours of University sites not usually open to the public as well as open sites across the city, all free of charge.

A group of people walk up to a radio telescope

The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright ©University of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

With over 70 drop-in and bookable events, Open Cambridge encourages people to discover more about their local history and communities. Taking place over 10 days, here is a preview of some of the events taking place. 

Experience two iconic Cambridge sites this September by booking on to guided tours of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO) and the University of Cambridge’s Senate House. At MRAO, discover more about mysterious dishes which are dotted over the Cambridgeshire countryside. You’ll get up close to the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager as well as see inside some of the control rooms and learn about the unique history of the site and some of the important discoveries made here. In the tours of Senate House, led by the University’s Ceremonial Officer, find out what goes on in this Grade 1 listed building during graduations as well as some of the incredible history the building as played host to.  

Learn about the experiences of over 2000 Cambridgeshire soldiers who were sent last minute by Churchill to the failed defence of Singapore in WWII in a special talk by Lewis Herbert, former Leader of Cambridge City Council. On the 80th anniversary of the release from Japanese Army slavery of our Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOWs) in September 1945, this talk will pay tribute to them and their families, particularly over 800 locally who never made in home - over 4 in every 10. 

This year marks 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen and to celebrate King’s College Library and Archives are hosting an exhibition showcasing first and early editions of the author’s much-loved novels, alongside the autograph manuscript of her unfinished novel Sanditon and treasures highlighting the Austen family’s connection with the College. This one-day event is a rare opportunity to look inside the College’s beautiful early nineteenth-century library designed by the architect William Wilkins. 

Back in May, The Sainsbury Laboratory here in Cambridge were part of a team winning a silver-gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For Open Cambridge, enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the lab, see some of the award-winning display and have a go at some of the interactive activities the team took to Chelsea. 

Try your hand at the world’s fastest growing sport, Padel, in a free 55-minute taster session at the Cambridge University Sports Centre. A fun, sociable mix of tennis and squash, each session is led by a qualified coach and great for beginners, so you’ll learn the rules, try out some shots, and experience what makes padel so popular. 

Cambridge Samaritans will be joining Open Cambridge for the first time this year. For over 60 years, they have been there—day or night—for anyone struggling to cope or in distress, offering a safe space to talk without judgement or pressure. Join a special online event to find out more about the work the charity is doing on the helplines and in the local community and discover Samaritans’ unique approach to supporting those in emotional distress and our work in reducing the number of suicides. 

Also, in the programme for the first time, are two tours of the Biomedical Campus. The first, delivered by Sociologists and residents David Skinner and Will Brown, considers the past, present, and future of the Campus from the perspective of the people who live around it. 

The second tour will explore landmark institutions like Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth Hospitals, the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and AstraZeneca’s global HQ as well as give visitors the opportunity to learn about the upcoming Cancer and Children’s Hospitals, world-first surgeries, and the collaborative spirit that drives breakthroughs from bench to bedside. 

Zoe Smith, Open Cambridge Manager, said: “Each year we’re blessed with such an incredible and unique programme of events. From garden and walking tours, to learning more about some of the amazing work our local community organisations undertake, this year’s programme opening doors to the residents of Cambridge”. 

Jo McPhee, Civic Engagement Manager at the University of Cambridge said: “Open Cambridge is a great way for our University and local communities to come together and celebrate our shared history and incredible stories behind our spaces, places and people. This year’s programme is full of exciting events that bring those stories to life, showcasing the the depth and diversity of our collective heritage.” 

The full Open Cambridge programme can be viewed here: https://www.opencambridge.cam.ac.uk/events. Open Cambridge is part of the national Heritage Open Days. It is designed to offer special access to places that are normally closed to the public or charge admission. The initiative provides an annual opportunity for people to discover the local history and heritage of their community. It is run by the Public Engagement team at the University of Cambridge who also deliver the Cambridge Festival, which takes place each Spring. 

Bookings are now open for Open Cambridge 2025 (12-21 September). This September the public can enjoy tours of College gardens, exhibitions from hidden archives, tours of University sites not usually open to the public as well as open sites across the city, all free of charge.

A group of people walk up to a radio telescope

The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright ©University of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

We are pleased to invite applications for an opportunity to work as a Research Assistant under the supervision of Professor Florian Hollfelder, in the Department of Biochemistry. We have two full-time positions available for this role.

The project is aimed at discovery of novel catalytic peptides and proteins, with an emphasis on the fundamental principles that define the origin of life. To this end ultrahigh throughput screening in microfluidic droplets will be used to find new functional ppetides and proteins in large person-made and nature-inspired libraries, followed by analysis of their features (e.g. catalytic promiscuity and conformational diversity) that first give rise to 'evolvability' and subsequently to efficiency. Deep sequence datasets from droplet screening will be interpreted using machine learning/AI approaches and, together with classical physical-organic/structural/mechanistic approaches, teach us where in sequence space novel solutions for sustainable biocatalysis can be harvested.

Candidates should hold a BSc degree in Biochemistry or another relevant subject.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 6 months in the first instance.

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

Informal enquiries are welcome to be sent to Professor Florian Hollfelder via: fh111@cam.ac.uk

For queries regarding the application process, please contact: personnel@bioc.cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference PH46887 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.

A Research Technician position is available in the Behaviour and Evolution Research Group, directed by Prof Rebecca Kilner, in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. Research by this group aims to understand how social behaviour contributes to evolutionary change. The overall goal is to reconstruct the trait variation we observe in the wild, using experimental work in the lab. Ongoing projects include work to investigate how social behaviour contributes to genetic variation and morphological variation, and how variation within species relates to variation among species.

Much of our work focuses on burying beetles (Nicrophorus species), which are collected and monitored locally in the field, and bred year-round in the lab. The successful applicant will be responsible for the general husbandry of the lab's beetle populations and ensuring that breeding experiments run smoothly and successfully throughout the year. They will breed burying beetles and collect data from them, help members of the group with data analysis, and keep the lab well-supplied with consumables required for the experiments. They will have a track record of being able to follow instructions accurately and will be capable of working independently. They will also need to work calmly and effectively with other members of the lab, the group leader and with the members of the professional services team in the Zoology Department who support research. Some knowledge of evolution and/or animal behaviour and/or insect biology will be essential.

The successful candidate will join a team of five or so, based in the Zoology Department. They will need to be highly motivated and develop a good understanding of the scientific aims of the projects underway in the lab. Close teamwork and a collaborative spirit will be essential. Candidates will report to Prof Kilner. There will be opportunities to contribute to fieldwork, and to participate in public engagement activities.

The role will be based on site in the Department of Zoology. Work cannot be undertaken remotely.

Interview date: Interviews will take place in Cambridge on 8 September 2025 (may be conducted remotely under exceptional circumstances).

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for up to one year.

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

Flexible working requests will be considered.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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 queries regarding the application process please contact Anastasia Nezhentseva.

Email: an286@cam.ac.uk Telephone: (0)1223 330117

Please quote reference PF46425 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.

Celebrate Cambridge’s iconic landmarks and uncover new treasures this September.

Ever wondered what it was like to be a Roman soldier or wear a toga? Now's your chance to find out!

Step back in time and uncover the curious cures and fascinating treatments of the ancient world.

Step into the sandals of the young athletes from the classical past and join the Great Greek Gymnasium. It's a fun-filled family event exploring the world of ancient sports.

Black holes are among the most extreme and mysterious objects in the Universe, where space and time are warped beyond recognition. In this public talk, leading scientists will explore the latest discoveries and tackle some of the biggest questions in modern physics: How do black holes form? What impact do they have on galaxies? And could they point the way to new laws of physics?

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research associate to join the group of Professor Andrew Balmford in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge.

The successful candidate will lead research examining how to meet rising timber demands while protecting biodiversity, carbon storage, and ecosystem services from landscape to global scales. The PDRA will be responsible for collating and analyzing global field datasets from contrasting timber production systems in order to identify which landscape-level combinations of systems best balance biodiversity, carbon, and yield outcomes. They will also help coordinate and implement future field campaigns to fill key field data gaps.

Additionally, the successful candidate will be responsible for advancing cutting-edge methods for quantifying global extinction risks and climate impacts embedded within international wood trade networks, enabling robust attribution of environmental impacts from harvest to consumption. These will be used to generate data-driven insights into the environmental footprints of key wood industry actors, the potential effectiveness of policy interventions at multiple scales, and the comparative impacts of wood-related demand- and supply-side interventions.

As part of these efforts, the successful candidate will be expected to engage with other stakeholders to develop business-science alliances and initiatives for improving the environmental impacts of wood production over broad spatial scales.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• PhD in a forestry- or conservation-related discipline.
• Strong background in field survey design, statistical sampling and analysis of large, multi-taxa biodiversity datasets.
• Expertise in landscape-level biodiversity and production analyses using R, QGIS, Google Earth Engine.
• Extensive fieldwork experience, including managing data collection within multiple forestry systems.
• Ability to communicate research findings clearly in oral and written formats to collaborators and to work collaboratively with scientific, industry and government stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.

Desirable skills and knowledge

• Postdoctoral research in quantitative science related to forestry or conservation.
• Experience in forest conservation across tropical and temperate biomes.

The postholder will be based in the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge and will be expected to work on site at least three days per week.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for one year with a possibility of extension subject to project status and funding.

Flexible working requests will be considered.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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 queries regarding the application process please contact Anastasia Nezhentseva.

Email: an286@cam.ac.uk Telephone: (0)1223 330117

Please quote reference PF46869 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.

Hidden Cambridge’s latest and surely most entertaining city centre walking tour led by a Cambridge Green Badge Guide

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in cellular biophysics in the group of Prof. Ewa Paluch. The Paluch lab studies cellular morphogenesis combining cell and molecular biology, quantitative imaging and biophysical approaches to investigate cell shape changes in cultured cells and in vivo. Current projects in the lab include investigating the regulation of the mechanical properties of the cellular actin cortex, the biomechanics of cell division, and the coupling between cell shape and mechanics and state / fate during cellular transitions.

The successful candidate will conduct fundamental research aimed at understanding the nanoscale regulation of contractile tension in the actomyosin cortex. The aim of the project is to 1) develop new tools to quantitively characterise actin and myosin organisation at the cortex, and 2) investigate how actin-myosin nanoscale organisation changes during the cortical tension increase associated with mitotic entry.

You should hold a PhD (or about to be awarded a PhD) in Cell Biology, Cell Biophysics, or a related field and have extensive experience with cell and molecular biology, quantitative imaging and image analysis. Experience investigating cellular actin organisation will be considered an advantage.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

Further information on the lab: https://www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/directory/ewa-paluch and https://paluchlab.uk

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 April 2028 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.

To apply for this post, please submit a CV and a motivation letter detailing why you want to be part of this project and how this post will be a good stepping-stone for your career. We also need the contact details for two people who can provide a professional reference.

The closing date for applications is 19th August 2025.

Please quote reference PM46837 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

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

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

Applications are invited for a 6-month Research Assistant/Research Associate position to join an international team in the Department of Genetics in central Cambridge. The project is led by Dr Ben Steventon and is aimed towards understanding how multi-tissue interactions time the development of the early central nervous system. The role will involve performing tissue ablation experiments in the early chick embryo, following by gene expression studies and live imaging.

We are looking for a highly motivated and well-organised person, with a first degree in biological or biomedical sciences and experience in molecular biology.

The project will involve learning and applying cutting-edge live imaging techniques including the quantification of tissue flow and tracking dynamic cell behaviours. Experience in the ex ovo culture and manipulation of the chick embryo is required, along with experience in the generation and analysis of single cell RNAseq datasets. It is also essential that the candidate can demonstrate a high level of organisational ability with experience in data collection and database management. The work will be embedded in a dynamic research group that utilizes a range of biological systems to tackle fundamental problems of early embryonic development.

Specific experience required:

• Experimental embryology of the chick embryo: ES and New Culture, tissue ablation, tissue grafting
• Imaging: Confocal microscopy and spinning disk microscopy
• Single cell RNAseq analysis

A PhD in Developmental Biology is essential for this role. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, updated to Postdoctoral Research Associate level once their PhD has been awarded.   Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 6 months in the first instance.

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

For informal enquiries about the role please contact Dr Ben Stevention bjs57@cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference PC46833 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

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

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

Applications are invited for a Grade 7 Post-Doctoral Research Associate position to join an international team in the Department of Genetics in central Cambridge. The project is led by Dr Ben Steventon and is aimed towards understanding the interplay of ECM, multi-tissue morphogenesis and gene expression during the development of the vertebral column. The project will involve experiments tracking tissue level morphometric changes, cell movements in 3D and ECM remodelling.

We are looking for a highly motivated and well-organised person, with a PhD in Developmental Biology.

Specific experience required:

• Working with early development of zebrafish or chick embryos
• Advanced imaging technologies including confocal and light-sheet microscopy
• Experience with a broad range of light imaging modalities, including but not limited to: confocal, light-sheet and spinning disk microscopy
• Methods to quantify tissue shape changes during development
• Experience researching the role of ECM in the control of tissue morphogenesis

For further details on our research, please visit steventonlab.wordpress.com

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.

For informal enquiries about the role please contact Dr Ben Steventon bjs57@cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference PC46826 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

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

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

The post £100m to invest in University of Cambridge spinouts appeared first on Cambridge Enterprise.

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join an exciting Leverhulme Trust-funded project entitled "Into the minds of magpies: cognition, development, and comparative perspectives", based at the University of Cambridge with Prof Nicola Clayton FRS. This is a fixed-term post with funds available for 3 years. The work will be carried out at the University of Cambridge Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour, located in Madingley village.

Whilst the mental abilities of corvids (the crow family) appear to rival those of the great apes, research with perhaps the UK's most ostentatious and culturally significant corvid species, the magpie (Pica pica), has remained scarce. Despite that magpies are often considered to be cunning and display seemingly 'intelligent' behaviours, the extent of their cognitive abilities remains unknown. This project will address this research gap by systematically assessing the mental capabilities and cognitive development of magpies.

Although freedom and flexibility will be given to the PDRA to tailor the experiments to their own interests and skills, this project has three general overarching and overlapping objectives: 1) To investigate the cognitive capabilities of magpies as a species, using well-established experimental paradigms employed across comparative psychology; 2) To assess how their cognition varies from hatching to adulthood, providing insights into the development of cognition in magpies and corvids in general; and 3) To position magpies within the corvid cognition research body and the broader framework of comparative cognition, shedding light on how various ecological and social pressures may shape cognition.

The PDRA will be primarily responsible for collecting and hand-rearing wild Eurasian magpies, and for designing and planning the experimental procedures, building the experimental apparatus, conducting the experiments, analysing the data, and producing the manuscripts for publication (as first author), as well as disseminating the results of the project at various conferences. Assistance will be given throughout by members of the Cambridge Comparative Cognition Research group (as well as external collaborators) and so will also provide the PDRA with opportunities for mentorship and leadership.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 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.

The applicant must hold a PhD in psychology, animal behaviour, or another related field and must show experience with having worked with animals, ideally birds (and preferentially corvids). The applicant must have significant experience in animal cognition/experimental psychology research (including a relevant publication track record) and must demonstrate their ability to independently conduct and lead the research in order to successfully meet the project objectives. See the Further Particulars document for more details.

Informal queries regarding this post may be sent to Prof Nicola Clayton FRS (nsc22@cam.ac.uk).

If you have queries about the application process please contact Megan Norkett (hr-team@psychol.cam.ac.uk).

Please quote reference PJ46816 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

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

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

The post New treatment could reduce brain damage from stroke appeared first on Cambridge Enterprise.

We are recruiting for a postdoctoral researcher to be based in the laboratory of Prof. Jim Haseloff at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge. The appointee will help develop new approaches to bioproduction in the model liverwort plant Marchantia polymorpha. Work with Marchantia allows streamlined approaches to genome modification, cell dynamics and morphogenetic engineering. The planned work includes use of a collection of synthetic gene elements designed for engineering the Marchantia chloroplast genome, with prototyping in bacterial systems. These allow hyper- expression of proteins in bacteria and transgenic plants. For the latter, we are developing hydroponic systems for large-scale, soil-free propagation of plants, and low-cost downstream processing of plant extracts for purification of recombinant proteins at scale. We are looking for a highly motivated appointee to work in this area.   The successful candidate will have a PhD degree and background in plant molecular biology or synthetic biology, including experience with Marchantia polymorpha. Experience with plant culture, DNA manipulation, microscopy, molecular biology and biotechnical aspects of plant growth and production will be advantageous.   The full-time, fixed term position is available for 6 months, starting 1st September 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 6 months in the first instance.

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

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

Please quote reference PD46809 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.