Research Fellow

About us

This is an exciting opportunity to join Professor Nick Lane’s lab at UCL – Division of Biosciences, within the Research Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment.

The group uses both experimental and computational methods to investigate how energy flow structures metabolism and genetics at the origin of life and over evolution.

About the role

This project is an ambitious attempt to develop a framework for the origin of life grounded in energy flow that stretches from CO2 fixation to the origin of the genetic code. We seek an origin-of-life enthusiast, with a strong interest in life as a guide to its own origin. The project is funded by a BBSRC sLoLa grant entitled “Origins of Biology: How energy flow structures metabolism and heredity at the origin of life.” We are a diverse group and can provide a good fit for either experimental or computational work. We have a well-equipped lab, including GC-MS, HPLC, LC-MS, FTIR, anaerobic glovebox, and ready access to NMR, and a network of experienced Co-Is across three faculties at UCL.

This role is an open-ended contract available from November 2024, initially for 18 months with probability of extension for an additional year.

Please note that 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.

Interview Date(s) are scheduled for October 2024.

Job Ref: B02-07507

Closing Date: 06/10/2024 – 23:59 (UK time)

A job description and person specification can be accessed via the "apply" button.

If you have any queries about the role, please contact Professor Nick Lane. 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 the Biosciences staffing team.

About you

Applicants will be expected to hold a PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, earth sciences, engineering, physics, maths or related fields (or be nearly completed). We are looking for a researcher with a strong interest in the origins of metabolism using life as a guide, and strong track record in origins of life research or related fields. Experience could be in experimental work, for example analytical chemistry (GC-MS, HPLC, NMR, etc) or computational modelling with experience in Matlab, R, etc, or computational chemistry such as molecular dynamics simulations or metabolic flux analysis.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits.

Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Our Division holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

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