Research Fellow in Molecular Microbiology

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral Research Associate position in Molecular Microbiology (fixed-term post from Sept/Oct 2018 -Sept/Oct January 2021, 36 months in total), working in the Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham, one of the UK's leading universities.

The project is titled ‘Uncovering the mechanisms of glycoconjugate translocation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and their roles in virulence”. The post holder will work in Dr Luke Alderwick's group, collaborating with Profs Besra and May as well as Public Health England. The research project will involve molecular biology of Mycobacteria, phenotypic characterisation of mutants (radiolabelling, analytical chemistry including Mass Spectrometry and NMR), transcriptomics (RNA-seq) and macrophage infection studies. The project would suit a highly motivated and committed scientist interested in using these techniques to better understand the molecular physiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the long-term goal of discovering new drug targets to treat TB.

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews *
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters *
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research *
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines*

* These indicative responsibilities may also be included in a research role at grade 6.

Person Specification

As the successful candidate, you should possess a PhD degree in biochemistry/molecular biology/microbiology and have demonstrable experience and peer reviewed publication(s) in molecular microbiology (specifically Mycobacteria), generating knock-out/knock-down mutants and phenotypic characterisation. Experience in Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) containment is desirable.

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications, or working towards
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes