Postdoctoral Fellow, Balchin D Lab

Location: The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London

About the role… 

The Protein Biogenesis at the Francis Crick institute is looking for a postdoc to help us understand the molecular principles underlying protein folding in vivo. Our team is focused on determining how the cellular environment shapes pathways of protein folding.  

Project directions include studies of protein folding and assembly in bacteria and human cells, the coordination between protein synthesis and molecular chaperones, and principles of nascent protein quality control at the ribosome.    

Our group was established in 2020, and currently consists of 3 postdocs, 3 PhD students and 2 research scientists. We are committed to maintaining a supportive and collaborative research environment, and we particularly value collegiality and open scientific discussion.   

What you will be doing…  

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Crick, a number of projects are available, depending on the interest and expertise of the applicant. Open questions include:  

• What conformations do nascent and stress-denatured proteins adopt in vivo?  
• What is the function of molecular chaperones during cotranslational folding?  
• How are defective nascent polypeptides recognised and routed to quality control machinery?  
• What are the molecular principles underlying substrate recognition by chaperones?    

Methods used in the group include biochemical reconstitution, hydrogen/deuterium exchange- and crosslinking-mass spectrometry, cryo-electron microscopy, proteomics and fluorescence microscopy.   

About you…  

You will bring…  

• PhD awarded or in the final stages of PhD submission 
• Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications, preprints or submitted manuscripts 
• Expertise in protein biochemistry
• Experience in mechanistic studies of protein folding, molecular chaperones, or ribosomes.  

To see the complete job description click here. 

To see more about team click here.  

About Working at the Crick…  

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches.
• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the world. 
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the community. 

At the Crick, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities and abilities. We will make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying please email: nicola.gyte@crick.ac.uk 

To find out more about the Crick click here. 

What will you receive?  

We value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits: 

• Visas: Funding is available for those requiring a visa to work in the UK.
• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays. 
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%. 
• Health & Well-being: 
• 24/7 GP consultation services. 
• Occupational health services and mental health support programs. 
• Work-Life Balance: 
• Back-up care for dependents. 
• Childcare support allowance. 
• Development & Recognition: Comprehensive training, mentoring, and a pay structure with performance-linked progression. 

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