Scientist

A scientist/senior scientist position is available to join the 2Blades group at The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich. The successful applicant will be part of a group developing programs based on genetic resistance in legumes and Solanaceous crops, with the aim of delivering value to commercial partners and smallholder farmers.  Applicants should have an interest in agriculture and biotechnology and the desire to see research translated into the field.

We are looking for creative, entrepreneurial, collaborative, and self-motivated candidates capable of independent research, who will contribute to a multi-disciplinary, international team.  The successful applicant will have significant responsibility and autonomy for carrying out the experimental challenges in the project.  The main activities will involve bioinformatics analysis of NGS data (predominantly RNA-seq), genetic mapping, plant phenotyping with various pathogens and high-throughput screening in protoplasts.

Candidate profile

Qualifications

• Essential:
  • PhD degree in relevant field

Skills

• Essential
  • extensive skills in various molecular biology techniques;
  • strong skills in application of various bioinformatic tools;
  • excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work as part of a team;
  • excellent critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills;
  • excellent writing and communication skills with capacity for communication with a diverse range of partners and stakeholders;
  • excellent time management and organisational skills;
  • ability to work independently, managing individual projects through to completion.
• Desirable
  • knowledge of Golden Gate cloning system;
  • experience with command line shell, including use of scripting to automate tasks;
  • experience with use of statistics;
  • knowledge of R;

Experience

• Essential
  • experience with Illumina, PacBio and/or Oxford Nanopore data generation and analysis;
  • experience with RNA-seq analysis, de novo assembly, SNP calling;
  • experience in working with plants and plant pathogens (preferably obligate biothrops);
  • experience with map-based cloning;
  • demonstrated ability to develop novel ideas;

• Desirable
  • experience in data visualization.

Additional essential requirements:

• ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information;
• ability to undertake occasional travel (national and international) related to collaborations, conferences and seminars;
• adherence to the organisation's core values of trust, accountability, creativity, and excellence.

The salary will be within UEA R&A, Grade 7 scale, between £37,099-£44,414pa; the appointment level will reflect qualifications, skills, knowledge, and achievements.

The position is available for two years in the first instance, with possibility for extension.

2Blades is USA based charitable organization that advances solutions to crop losses by merging cutting-edge scientific discovery with delivery in the field, contributing to a more resilient, sustainable, and productive global food supply. 2Blades establishes and manages development programs addressing significant unsolved crop disease problems and delivers outcomes to downstream implementation partners. For more information please visit www.2Blades.org

The Sainsbury Laboratory is a world leader in plant and microbial science that is dedicated to making fundamental discoveries in the science of plant-microbe interactions. TSL has expanded its scientific mission not only to continue providing fundamental biological insights into plant-pathogen interactions, but also to deliver novel, genomics-based solutions that will significantly reduce losses from major crop diseases, especially in developing countries.  

Applicants should provide a CV, including the names and contact details of two or more referees, and a covering letter of no more than one A4 addressing the selection criteria, via the 'Apply' button above.

Advert information