Postdoctoral Research Associate/Fellow in Biological Chemistry (fixed term)

Post-Doctoral Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed-term) in Analytical and Synthetic Chemistry of fungal natural products UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM in the group of Prof. Neil Thomas

The Thomas Group is seeking to recruit a highly motivated and skilled organic chemist with excellent analytical chemistry and chromatography experience for a Post-Doctoral Research Associate/Fellow post for 12 months, based in the Biodiscovery Institute as a member of the School of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham. 

An exciting opportunity to join a well-established and multidisciplinary research team comprising of chemists, life scientists, and structural and computational biologists for a substantial BBSRC-funded project ‘Exploring the metabolic diversity of engineered fungal non-ribosomal peptide synthetase-like enzymes for the development of novel antibiotics’. The work will be conducted in the Biodiscovery Institute which is a large (850 researchers) ‘state of the art’ facility for multidisciplinary research at the interface between Biology, Chemistry, and Medicine and in the Chemistry and Life Sciences buildings. The successful candidate will use a range of analytical methods to purify and characterize new natural products as well as synthesize new enzyme substrates.

The successful candidate will have delegated responsibility for safe laboratory practice within the group and contribute to the smooth running of the research laboratory and the day-to-day supervision of PhD and project students. They will also aid in writing publications, present research at national and international conferences, and liaise with collaborators. In addition to pursuing the goals of the research project, the successful candidate will be given support and freedom to develop their own research ideas. Hence, this position may be particularly attractive to those looking to develop their research independence and leadership skills in a supportive and team-oriented environment.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. (or be near completion) in the relevant subject area or have the equivalent in professional qualifications and experience in the area of research. They should have expertise in HPLC, the interpretation of NMR and Mass spectrometry data as well as significant experience in synthetic organic chemistry. Practical experience in enzyme assays would also be advantageous. Candidates should have excellent organizational, communication, and team-working skills, and experience with the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students would be desirable. 

The CV and/or cover letter should exemplify how the candidate meets the criteria highlighted herein and in the Role Profile document. They should also describe the candidate’s motivation for applying for this position.

The Thomas group is committed to EDI and particularly welcomes applications from candidates with backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in academia.

The position is available immediately and is offered on a fixed term contract for 12 months. Hours of work are full-time (36.25 hours per week), but flexible working times and a small amount of home working are possible to support those with specific requirements.

Requests for secondment from internal candidates may be considered on the basis that prior agreement has been sought from both your current line manager and the manager of your substantive post, if you are already undertaking a secondment role.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Prof. Neil R. Thomas, email neil.thomas@nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

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