Applications are invited for a Research Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Nathalie Juge in the Gut Microbes and Health Programme at the Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB).

The Juge Group:

The Juge Group focuses on investigating the molecular mechanisms mediating the interaction between gut bacteria and the mucus layer covering the gastrointestinal tract with a focus on mucin glycosylation. We use multidisciplinary approaches to investigate how gut bacteria utilise mucin glycans as nutrients or binding sites and adapt to changes in the mucosal environment in health and disease. The Group comprises five PhD students and five post-doctoral scientists and regularly hosts undergraduate students and visiting scientists. The Group has extensive collaborations on the Norwich Research Park and internationally.

The role:

The post-holder will contribute to the experimental work of a BBSRC-funded grant investigating the metabolism of sialic acid in gut bacteria. Specifically, they will carry out in vitro work (anaerobic cultures, in vitro colon model) and in vivo colonisation (mouse models) and contribute to microbiome analyses.

The post-holder will work closely with other post-doctoral scientists and collaborators on the Norwich Research Park involved in the project. In addition to the proposed experimental work, the post-holder will contribute to the research by interacting with Research Scientists and PhD students in the Juge Group, writing up reports and publications, and presenting at relevant meetings and conferences.

The post-holder will also be encouraged to join public engagement activities. In addition, they will benefit from regular BBSRC-sponsored training courses in career development and transferable skills.

The ideal candidate:

Candidates should possess a PhD in a relevant biological field (such as Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Microbiology or Glycobiology). They should have in-depth knowledge of molecular microbiology and the gut microbiome.

Experience of anaerobic microbial growth assays is essential, as are bioinformatics skills and experience of microbiome profiling sequencing and analysis. Experience of mouse work and an animal personal license are desirable.

All candidates should possess excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. They should also have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well as part of a team.

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £31,250 to £38,100 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full time post for a contract of 12 months.

Further information and details of how to apply can be found here, or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450462 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1003537.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sectors of society. The Institute supports equality of opportunity within the workplace and expects all employees to share and display these values. To support our commitment, we have a range of family, faith and diversity friendly working arrangements to help all staff achieve excellence in their area of work.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.