Salary range: £31,250 - £38,100
Post No. 1003678
Contract length: 18 months
Department: Engineering Biology
Opening date: 04 June 2019
Closing date: 01 July 2019
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist (Plant Metabolic Diversity) to join the Patron Lab at the Earlham Institute, based in Norwich, UK. In collaboration with the Osbourn Lab at the John Innes Centre, this project will be linked to the Darwin Tree of Life Project, which aims to sequence all known UK eukaryotes.
Background:
The Earlham Institute is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist (Plant Metabolic Diversity) to join the new Darwin Tree of Life Programme that aims to sequence the genomes of 66,000 known species of animals, plants, protozoa and fungi in the UK.
Work at the Earlham Institute will focus on analysing genomes to further our understanding of evolutionary processes that drive biodiversity in populations and ecosystems. We are also involved in applying genomics to the conservation and management of valuable ecosystems and to the sustainable use of biodiversity for public good.
EI is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Scientist (Plant Metabolic Diversity) to support the Institute’s involvement in the Earth Biogenome Project a global, collaborative initiative which aims to sequence the genomes of 1.5 million species of life on Earth in the next 10-20 years.
The role:
This project will generate and compare genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic datasets for a group of related plant species. The scientist will be responsible for conducting comparative analyses with the aim of exploring the genetic basis of metabolic diversity and identifying genes responsible for the presence of target metabolites.
They will work in collaboration with other scientists at the Earlham Institute and John Innes Centre to characterise candidate genes, with the eventual aim of enabling biological production of novel, high-value metabolites.
The ideal candidate:
The candidate must have a PhD in Plant Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Synthetic Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Bioinformatics or a related subject.
The project would suit either a molecular biologist or biochemist experienced in the analysis of RNA-seq/metabolomic datasets, or a bioinformatician interested in applying their expertise to understanding metabolic diversification in plants. The candidate must be motivated and interested in the application of innovative technologies to natural product biology.
Additional information:
Salary on appointment will be within the range £31,250 - £38,100 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full time post for a contract of 18 months.
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.