Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The Post

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position to work within a new inter-disciplinary NERC funded GCRF project, “Sustainable Plastic Attitudes to benefit Communities and their Environments (SPACES)” in the department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Stirling, UK. We are seeking a highly motivated individual specialising in environmental microbiology and the colonisation dynamics and ecology of human pathogens (particularly species of the pathogenic yeast, Candida) in biofilms attaching to plastics. The successful candidate will be based in Stirling and become part of the wider interdisciplinary team involved with this £3.85m project, which involves a consortium led by the University of Stirling, and involves the University of Malawi, University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

This ambitious project is at the forefront of solid waste management and improved environmental decision-making by characterising the impact of plastics to human health in Africa.

By quantifying the processes of human pathogen colonisation, dispersal and exposure pathways, the “SPACES Project” will address key environmental challenges and have far-reaching implications for human health and well-being in sub-Saharan African communities.

Description of Duties

• Designing experiments, leading lab work, and collecting data on colonisation dynamics of human pathogens in microcosm systems
• Attending regular meetings and communication with the research team
• Using traditional microbiological approaches and developing molecular approaches to quantify human pathogens on plastics in the environment
• Contributing to the intellectual development of the project, including analysing data

Essential Criteria

• PhD in a relevant discipline, such as environmental microbiology, molecular biology, human pathogens in biofilms
• Extensive experience of using microbiological techniques, particularly with human fungal pathogens
• Extensive experience of using standard molecular techniques (e.g. DNA extraction, molecular cloning techniques, PCR, qPCR, RT-PCR)
• Evidence of the ability to carry out a research project to its completion

For further information, including a full description of duties, essential criteria and details on how to apply, please see Vacancy details | University of Stirling

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