Postdoctoral Research Assistant UOD1209

Location

Dundee | United Kingdom

Job description

We are recruiting for an exceptional individual to join us as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the group of Dr Martin Balcerowicz within the University of Dundee's Division of Plant Sciences, based at the James Hutton Institute. We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic individual to spearhead our efforts to understand how ambient temperature controls the process of translation at the molecular level.

This is a fixed-term appointment for 36 months.

The Balcerowicz lab mainly uses the model plant Arabidopsis thalian a to investigate how warm temperatures regulate gene expression and thereby plant development, but also explores ways to harness the identified mechanisms to render plants more resilient to a changing climate. We focus on both transcriptional and translational processes involved in the environmental control of gene expression: we previously established a transcriptional network that controls the "dawn burst" in gene expression downstream of light and temperature signals (Balcerowicz, Mahjoub et al., 2021) and identified the first temperature-sensitive regulatory RNA structure ("thermoswitch") in plants as part of a novel temperature sensing pathway (Chung, Balcerowicz et al., 2020).

The appointee will a lead an interdisciplinary research project on the effects of ambient temperature on the process of translation using Arabidopsis as a model system. They will quantify translation initiation dynamics on a global scale using state-of-the-art next generation sequencing approaches (RNA sequencing, ribosome profiling) and complement this work by detailed studies on translationally regulated genes using genetic and molecular biology approaches. The post will especially suit applicants who have experience in both wet lab techniques and bioinformatics analyses. The project will allow the appointee to further increase their set of technical and transferrable skills and provides a unique chance to work at the forefront of an exciting and rapidly growing field within plant research.

Please note that applications made on a part-time basis for this role will not be considered.

Your priorities will include

• Performing state-of-the-art next generation sequencing experiments (RNA-seq, ribosome profiling) including experimental design, execution and data analysis to track translation dynamics in vivo;


• Performing a wide range of molecular and biochemical techniques (e.g. in vitro translation assays, qPCR, western blots);


• Generation, phenotypic and molecular analysis of Arabidopsis mutants/transgenic lines;


• Supervision and instruction of undergraduate and PhD students;


• Preparing and presenting data at group meetings, departmental seminars and conferences;


• Writing manuscripts for publication.

Who we're looking for

• The candidate will hold, or will be close to obtaining, a PhD in Plant Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or another relevant discipline.


• The candidate will have a strong track record in (plant) molecular biology. Expertise in next generation sequencing or similar "big data" approaches, including data analysis, is essential; experience in translatome analysis (Ribo-seq, TRAP-seq or similar) is desirable.


• Experience in at least one programming language (e.g. Python or R) is required.


• The candidate will have the demonstrable ability to acquire novel techniques, to trouble shoot and problem-solve.


• The candidate will be able to work effectively and independently within a team.


• The candidate will have excellent oral and written communication skills.

For further information about this position please contact Dr Martin Balcerowicz at [email protected] . To find out more about the group please visit .

Job tags

Salary

£36.02k - £39.35k per annum