Laboratory Technician

Location: Silwood Park Campus

About the role:

The Waring Lab at the Silwood Park Campus of Imperial College London is looking for a motivated, detail-oriented Laboratory Technician to assist with a large project seeking to engineer soil microbiomes to protect crops from disease.

Your role will include assisting with the collection of soil samples from around the UK, and help cultivate wheat both in the lab and in the field. Due to the microbial component of the project, you will also be required to maintain clean, sterile techniques when performing these duties. Working in the Waring Lab at Silwood Park in Berkshire, you will collaborate with a large team of researchers seeking to develop a microbial solution to reduce one of the most important root diseases of wheat worldwide (take-all disease). You will be part of a team of 2 technicians, 5 post-doctoral researchers and 5 Principal Investigators, all based at Silwood, all exploring this specific project to develop a new ‘Green Revolution’. This research will be conducted at the Silwood Park Campus of Imperial College London, a globally renowned centre for theoretical and applied ecology. Silwood Park hosts an 80 hectare nature reserve and has close transportation links to central London. 

What you would be doing:

You will:

• Communicate regularly with Dr. Bonnie Waring and other members of the Green Revolution team to plan and execute tasks in a timely fashion.
• Maintain wheat plants in Controlled Environment chambers, mesocosms, and field plots
• Assist with soil and microbe collections and inoculations
• Assist with soil sample collections at UK field site visits
• Analyse soil properties and conduct simple biogeochemical assays
• Record and quality-check sample collections
• Help maintain and organize laboratory facilities to support the work described above.

What we are looking for:

Essential criteria:

• An undergraduate degree in ecology, earth/environmental science, geology, or a related field
• The capacity to conduct fieldwork under adverse conditions (hot, rainy, buggy, etc.) – note that all fieldwork for this experiment will take place in the UK
• A valid driver’s licence (for traveling to/from field sites)
• Ability to communicate clearly, collaborate effectively within diverse groups, and deliver progress by mutually agreed deadlines 
• Good proficiency with laboratory tasks (e.g., maintaining sterile practices, using micropipettes, notetaking, sample organisation).

Desirable criteria:

• Previous experience, through employment or coursework, in at least two of the following areas (no candidate is expected to have expertise in all of them):
  • Agronomy
  • Plant-fungal interactions
  • Plant pathology
  • Plant physiology
  • Soil biogeochemistry
  • Soil microbial ecology
• Experience growing plants in controlled conditions
• Experience with agricultural field trials.

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow your career: Gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year and generous pension schemes).

Further Information

Applicants should provide a CV and a cover letter (two pages maximum) explaining their qualifications for the role.

Should you require any further details on the role please contact

Bonnie Waring at b.waring@imperial.ac.uk with ‘Green Microbiome Technician’ in the subject line.

Advert information