MRC Postdoctoral Research Scientist (3 Years)

About us

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. 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.

About the role

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.

About you

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. Experience with coding for quantitative data analysis is essential. You might be an engineer with an interest in how living things are built, a physicist fascinated by biology, or a biologist who loves to code. Your particular path is less important than your desire to learn and work on interesting problems.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer defined benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement (30 days plus 2.5 privilege days & 8 bank holidays), family friendly policies (6 months full pay  & adoption leave), a range of shopping/travel discounts, access to our Employee Assistant Programme Scheme, Health and Wellbeing Support and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.  Please follow this link to find out more - Benefits

How to apply

For full details of this post and to complete an online application, click the 'Apply' button and upload your CV, names and contacts of two scientific references along with a cover 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). Applications without a cover letter will not be accepted. Please quote reference number LMS 2532.

*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.

This role qualifies for endorsement by UKRI for a UK Global Talent Visa, for which the successful applicant is likely to be eligible to apply. We will also reimburse the cost of visa application (terms and conditions apply).

Closing date: 5 January 2025

Final appointment will be subject to pre-employment screening