Research Fellow – Molecular Ecology

About us

Biosciences is one of the world’s foremost centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences and one of the largest Divisions within UCL, undertaking a significant amount of research and teaching. The Division has a diverse portfolio addressing all areas of biology from protein interactions to cell function, organism development, genetics, population studies and the environment. Computational modelling approaches are frequently used alongside experimental research programmes and much of our research crosses traditional boundaries, including the relationship of biodiversity to the health of the planet.

This is an exciting opportunity to join an interdisciplinary team of researchers from UCL, the National Physical Laboratory and Natural England on a NERC-funded project that will innovate new technology for terrestrial biodiversity monitoring using environmental DNA isolated from the air. The research fellow will primarily be based at the People and Nature Lab on the new UCL East campus.

About the role

The main purpose of this position is to lead the molecular, bioinformatics and statistical analyses on a NERC-funded project innovating new technologies for the detection of terrestrial biodiversity using environmental DNA isolated from the air. Your role will be to develop and optimise a sampling array for the capture of eukaryotic airborne eDNA, taking into account end-user requirements and capture and preservation of DNA. You will work closely with scientists from the National Physical Laboratory to experimentally validate models of particulate dispersal which will allow us to estimate the effects of wind flow on sampling. You will deploy this sampling array in the UK’s national nature reserves to assess biomonitoring capabilities when compared to conventional survey methods, and assess the ability of airborne eDNA to enhance our understanding of functional connectivity at the landscape scale. You will work with scientists from Natural England to understand the requireme nts of end-users for this technology, and how it can be used to contribute to national monitoring targets.

This is a fixed-term role until 31/05/2027.

Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Grade 6B, with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD Thesis.

Interviews will take place in late August 2024.

If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact Biosciences staffing at biosciences.staffing@ucl.ac.uk.

About you

The successful candidate must hold or about to submit a PhD degree in a relevant area. They must have significant experience of working in ecological/environmental genetics and/or environmental DNA fields. Experience in lab methodology for the analysis of ecological/environmental genetics or environmental DNA data is essential, as is experience in conducting bioinformatic analyses (e.g. shell scripting or python) and the application of appropriate ecological statistics (e.g. in R). The successful candidate will ideally have a knowledge of, or interest in, environmental policy, habitat connectivity, or other UK biomonitoring schemes. Excellent communication skills, including within an interdisciplinary project team, and with external stakeholders and end-users, are essential. The ability to keep meticulous records of field work, lab work, and well-annotated computer code is crucial to the smooth running of this project.

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