Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Genetically encoded neuroactive compounds

(3 Years)

A 3-year postdoctoral position is available at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) to work in the Behavioural Phenomics group headed by Dr André Brown, from January 2025. The LMS is a world-class research laboratory where scientists and clinicians collaborate to advance the understanding of biology and its application to medicine. Funded by the MRC as part of UK Research and Innovation, the LMS has a collaborative working culture and new state-of-the-art building based in the heart of West London in the Hammersmith Hospital Campus. 

Bacteria can now be engineered to produce designer proteins, peptides, and genetically encoded natural products. However, testing their function in vivo can be slow and expensive. The nematode C. elegans naturally eats bacteria, releasing their contents, which enables direct feed-to-function screening of large engineered libraries. If only we could sensitively detect the effects at scale… 

We have developed new technology for high-throughput behavioural screening and quantitative phenotyping that opens the door to functional screening of engineered microbes at the scale of tens of thousands of samples a week. We are looking for someone who wants to use this platform in collaboration with our colleagues in Karen Sarkisyan’s lab to design and test functional proteins and neuroactive natural products and to develop the next generation of screening technology that will enable screening a million samples per day for their activity in vivo.

This position would give you access to unique screening technology and a group of interdisciplinary colleagues who work together on behaviour assays, instrument development, software, and data analysis. We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative scientist with a PhD and an interest in behavior, protein engineering, synthetic biology, and/or neuropharmacology. Other members of the team have backgrounds in genetics, physics, neuroscience, and engineering. Your particular path is less important than your desire to learn and work on interesting problems.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits, including 30 days annual leave, a defined benefit pension scheme, family friendly policies, and support with CPD. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

We are committed to advancing EDI and as "Disability Confident" employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. Learn more about some of our workplace inclusion initiatives.

For full details of this post and to complete an online application, please click 'Apply’ to be redirected to our website and upload your CV, names and contacts of two scientific references along with a covering letter stating why you are applying for this role (providing evidence against the requirements of the job as per the job description and person specification). Please quote reference number LMS 2491 

Closing date: 20 October 2024 

Final appointment will be subject to pre-employment screening.

*Salary quoted is inclusive of London weighting. Additional allowances comprise a £1,000 lump sum Settlement Allowance plus a yearly Training Allowance of £850 in the first year, paid in monthly instalments. The Training Allowance increases to £1,300 in year two, and £1,800 in the third year.