Research Associate (fixed-term)

About the role

This job is part of a BBSRC sLola funded consortium MultiDefence (https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/multidefence/). 

This consortium brings together leading specialists as well as early career researchers and technicians from the universities of Exeter, Cambridge, Durham, Manchester, Bath, Bristol, Liverpool and St Andrews to build a network of expertise in bioinformatics, molecular microbiology, biochemistry, mathematical modelling, microscopy, and experimental evolution techniques. 

Our collective ambitious goal for this project is to tease apart how complex, multi-layered, bacterial immune systems operate at the level of individual molecules, cells, populations and microbial communities. 

You will benefit from the broad expertise of this consortium and have opportunities to train in other labs. 

At the University of Bath, you will be within the Taylor lab group (https://tiffanybtaylor.wordpress.com/) where our goal is to utilise the power of microbial experimental evolution to decode the evolutionary and ecological forces shaping bacterial genomes. 

We foster a supportive and respectful environment and are committed to maintaining the highest standards of scientific integrity. 

As a member of Research Staff at the University of Bath, you will be encouraged to take up a minimum of 10 days professional development pro rata per year.

Bacterial genomes have evolved sophisticated defence systems against infections by mobile genetic elements (MGEs), including phages and plasmids, that shape genome structure and function. 

The very recent discovery of dozens of diverse and formerly unknown defence systems that cluster in 'defence islands' has led to the hypothesis that bacterial immune systems consist of multiple integrated layers that act in concert to constrain MGE infections; analogous to how our own innate and adaptive immune systems work together to combat pathogen infections. 

This project will propel our understanding of microbial genome evolution, improve our ability to predict and manipulate the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and help to optimise the use of phages to combat bacterial pathogen infections (phage therapy).

About you

Your part in the project will be focused on understanding how these multi-layered defence systems are regulated, both locally (i.e. on the defence islands) and globally (i.e. with regulatory elements in the host cell). 

You will hold a PhD in a relevant discipline. 

You will have good, practical experience with molecular microbiology techniques and genetic engineering which will be used to validate predicted regulatory elements. 

In addition, previous experience with flow cytometry and FACS would be beneficial for expression analysis. 

Some experience with bacteria-phage culture techniques is desirable. 

Excellent experimental design, scientific writing and data analysis skills are essential. 

This role will involve working closely with a full-time research technician that will support the project for the first year.

Additional information

This is a full-time, fixed-term position, expected to end December 2027.

Advert information