[Closing March 6 - April 10] Several lectureship opportunities at Edinburgh University

Lecturer or Senior Lecturer in Synthetic Biology (vacancy ref: 042732)

We seek an excellent scientist and inspiring teacher who uses synthetic biology methods in research programmes such as genome engineering, biotechnology, metabolic engineering, genetic circuit design and engineering (both in vivo and cell free), bio-sensing, multi-cellularity and tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, novel vaccine development or addresses key questions in molecular or cell biology. The Edinburgh Genome Foundry’s facilities for automated DNA assembly can support large-scale synthetic biology and synthetic genomics research and we would be particularly enthusiastic about research programmes that took advantage of these capabilities.

Closing date – March 22nd

Contact – Prof Susan Rosser (Susan.Rosser@ed.ac.uk)

Lecturer in Biological Mass Spectrometry (vacancy ref: 042692)

We seek an excellent scientist and inspiring teacher who applies mass spectrometry (MS) in innovative ways to tackle major challenges in biology. We are looking for researcher who is addressing key questions in areas such as cell biology, structural biology, immunology, microbiology, biotechnology or systems biology, by exploiting the unique sensitivity, accuracy and resolving power of modern and emerging MS techniques.

Closing date – April 5th 2018

Contact – Prof Paul Barlow (Paul.Barlow@ed.ac.uk)

Lecturer in Computational Biology (vacancy ref: 042673)

We seek an excellent scientist and inspiring teacher who uses and develops computational and modelling techniques to address key questions in biology. We welcome applications from researchers in all areas of computational biology, and we are particularly looking for those working in the following fields: metabolism, such as the application of flux balance analysis and the analysis and interpretation of data from metabolomics and fluxomics experiments; multi-scale modelling of biological systems, including formal modelling techniques and stochastic modelling; and data science approaches to biological research, including the analysis of data from next generation sequencing.

Closing Date - 13th March 2018

Contact – Prof Peter Swain or Prof Guido Sanguinetti (Peter.swain@ed.ac.uk or gsanguin@inf.ed.ac.uk)

Lecturer in Stem cell Biology (vacancy ref 042667)

We seek an excellent scientist and inspiring teacher who addresses key questions in stem cell biology or developmental biology that are directly relevant to stem cell or regenerative biology. We particularly encourage applications from candidates who employ single cell or synthetic approaches

Closing Date – April 10th

Contact – Prof Donal O’Carroll Donal.ocarroll@ed.ac.uk

Lecturer in Molecular Crop Science (vacancy ref: 042668)

We seek a creative scientist and inspiring teacher who applies molecular approaches to address important fundamental and translational questions in plant biology that are relevant to crop improvement and food security.

Closing Date – March 15th

Contact – Prof Andrew Hudson (Andrew.hudson@ed.ac.uk)

Lectureship in Biochemistry (vacancy ref 042671)

This four-year lectureship position offers an outstanding opportunity to develop an independent teaching and research programme. We seek an excellent scientist and inspiring teacher to join a group of successful scientists with teaching and research interests across RNA and cell biology, synthetic biology, systems biology, biochemistry and biotechnology. At Edinburgh we emphasise cross-disciplinary thinking in a collaborative and well-supported environment. You will benefit from this to build your own portfolio of research and scholarship. You will make an important contribution to the development and delivery of high-quality and inspirational undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, including the opportunity to develop eLearning and on-line education initiatives. You will have a PhD in a relevant area of biology or chemistry and a published record of research, along with a successful track record of developing innovative and engaging teaching.

Closing Date – March 6

Contact – Prof Paul Barlow (paul.barlow@ed.ac.uk)

For all roles, please apply online at vacancies.ed.ac.uk

Eleven projects pitch for funding from the OpenPlant Fund

Aleksandr Gavrin pitching his proposal.

Friday 1 December 2017, Norwich, was the day of the pitches for the 5th round of OpenPlant Fund proposals – and what an exciting set of proposals they were. Eleven proposals were pitched, ranging from development of plant tools and methods, to cell-free protein production, software and hardware development, training, and development of resources for schools in Ghana.

The OpenPlant Fund is rapidly building a dynamic community of early career plant synthetic biologists. The Fund has awarded over 60 micro-grants between 2015 and 2017 to projects facilitating exchange between University of Cambridge, the John Innes Institute and Earlham Institute in Norwich and a range of external collaborators for the development of open technologies and responsible innovation in the context of synthetic biology. Through these awards, OpenPlant aims to promote plant synthetic biology as an interdisciplinary field. This latest round of “high quality, innovative and novel ideas” – as judge Richard Hammond of Cambridge Consultants put it – highlights the engagement, motivation and drive the is present within the local community. More information on the Fund can be found at www.openplant.org/fund and documentation of OpenPlant Fund projects can be found at www.biomaker.org.

Fern gametophyte photographed by Dr Jennifer Deegan using her focus stacking photography platform. More information, images and project documentation can be found through http://chlorophyllosophy.uk/

Tools for plant synthetic biology

The first talk, coming to us via skype, pitched for funding to further develop a focus stacking photography platform for teaching and publication in plant sciences. Impressive images of fern gametophytes showed the current scope of the platform developed through the Biomaker Challenge. Presenter Jennifer Deegan (University of Cambridge) made full use of skype by demonstrating the hardware setup, explaining how it would be further developed to expand its scope, and how it would be adapted to build a cheap system for schools.

Next up, Aleksandr Gavrin (Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge) presented a proposal to make stable transgenic Medicago truncatula lines in which actin is tagged with a reporter gene as a tool for legume researchers. In another legume-focused project, Abhimanyu Sarkar (John Innes Centre) proposed to establish a transformation system for the orphan crop Grass-pea. While there were some challenging legal questions surrounding the shareability of the system, the judges recognised the urgent need for new developments in transformation.

Image by Pablo Ramdohr, shared under licence CC BY 2.0

Cell-free biology

Proposing to compare cell-free and plant expression systems for protein expression, Susan Duncan (Earlham Institute) pitched a project that would analyse synthesis of proteins, focussing specifically on transcription factors. New collaborations between groups in Norwich and Cambridge will provide Susan with a variety of transcription factors to test.

In a related, but “very independent” project, Quentin Dudley (Earlham Institute) proposed to compare protein synthesis in two different cell-free systems, E.coli and wheat germ lysates. The project aims to gather data on yield vs cost of the two systems. He extended on open invitation for people to ask him “can you try my protein”. So, get in touch if you’d like your plant protein to be tested in Quentin’s cell-free systems.

The third cell-free proposal came in via skype, with Clayton Rabideau (University of Cambridge) rubbing the sleep from his eyes to pitch from the US in the early morning hours. Clayton pitched for funding to develop a hardware system called Open-Cell, using machine learning together with microfluidics-based cell-free screening assay technology for screening of enzyme activity.

Computation and training

A third theme that came out through the pitches, was the need for computation, software development and training. Chris Penfold (University of Cambridge), who had arrived straight off a plane from Venice, proposed an ambitious project to develop a suite of computational tools to simulate large gene regulatory networks in plants and mammals. These tools aim to improve rational design and predictability in synthetic biology.

Jan Sklenar (The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich) presented a proposal to bring together proteomics experts and bioinformaticists with expertise in R software. To do this, the group propose a series of workshops for knowledge exchange and training to help both disciplines understand each other. Following these workshops, the team will work together to integrate the ‘R for Proteomics’ package, developed at the University of Cambridge, into Norwich proteomics workflows and further develop the software suite. Jan’s driving motivation for the project is to “be more efficient” and require “less manual interference” for proteomics analysis.

A final computational project was pitched by Aaron Bostrom (Earlham Institute) who talked about mutant worms and Raspberry Pi’s in a proposal to develop a training programme designed around sensing hardware for data collection and machine learning for plant synthetic biology projects.

An artistic representation of a plant-microbial fuel cell, submitted in Paolo Bombelli's proposal

International activities

Two energetic presenters pitched projects focussed on engaging directly with an international group. Paolo “the plant electrician” Bombelli (University of Cambridge) pitched for match-funding to enable him to run an international biodesign competition for the development of prototypes for a plant-microbial fuel cell to be used in remote jungle regions as an environmentally friendly power supply for a sensor and camera-trap to be used by Zoologists.

Waving his hands as he introduced himself, PhD student Hans Pfalgraz (University of East Anglia and John Innes Centre) proposed a project, working with Kumasi Hive innovation hub and the Lab_13 Ghana practical science education project, to take inspiration from previous OpenPlant projects and develop open source practical teaching activities, testing these in Ghana and then making more widely available for schools in other low-resource settings.

What the judges say

“This was a great event and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt like we visited all four corners of science in a couple of hours. The proposals were of a high standard and well presented with some fascinating new ideas to understand and discuss. Well done to all involved.’”

— Richard Hammond, Technology Director and Head of Synthetic Biology at Cambridge Consultants

“It was a great day, very good science, creativity and a warm welcome. Thanks for the invite!”

— Ward Hills, CEO at OpenIOLabs

“We heard a number of compelling and original ideas, the majority being led by early career researchers. It was particularly impressive to see so many new collaborations and networks being built, both between the Open Plant Research Institutes and with external partners.”

— Dr Nicola Patron, Synthetic Biology Group Leader, Earlham Institute

New report from the OpenPlant IP Working Group: Towards an Open Material Transfer Agreement

View the full report >>

The OpenPlant Intellectual Property (IP) Working Group was formed to examine IP norms and policies that impede innovation in plant synthetic biology. The result was the development of the Open Material Transfer Agreement (OpenMTA), a legal tool for sharing DNA parts and other biological materials that allows IP-free sharing of foundational tools while promoting the scaling and commercialisation of novel advanced technologies.

OpenPlant is a collaborative initiative between the University of Cambridge, the John Innes Centre and the Earlham Institute in Norwich. It is a synthetic biology research centre focused on the development of open technologies for plant synthetic biology. As part of this initiative, the OpenPlant Intellectual Property (IP) Working Group was formed to examine current IP norms and policies that impede innovation in plant synthetic biology and develop pragmatic solutions.

OpenPlant is building a collectionof promoters to drive expression of fluorescent markers in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha which will be shared with the plant synthetic biology community. Image: Bernardo Pollak, Haseloff Lab, University of Cambridge

The Working Group met at the University of Cambridge on 30 July 2015 to solicit input on the design specifications for an open material transfer agreement (OpenMTA), a legal tool that complements the BioBrick® Public Agreement and supports the sharing of DNA components as tangible material. The second aim was to gather and prioritise actionable goals for creating and sustaining an international platform of open technologies for plant synthetic biology.

This report provides background and context for our discussions then summarises the observations of the 23 participants, who included researchers, technical experts, and legal practitioners from academic, industry, and non-profit organisations.

“We believe steps to facilitate exchange of DNA parts and tools will substantially speed the take-up of new technologies in plant synthetic biology.”

The OpenPlant IP Working Group continued discussions through monthly calls and drafted several comment pieces and conference presentations. After extensive consultation, the text of the OpenMTA Master Agreement is published, initial signatories are invited and the first transfers of materials are beginning to take place, including transfer of bacterial DNA parts from Stanford University to the J Craig Venter Institute. Work continues to address the other issues identified in this report in the context of sharing OpenPlant-derived tools and technologies.

The authors welcome feedback on this report and invite suggestions for concrete actions enabling the creation and maintenance of platforms for sharing open biotechnologies. 

For more information on the OpenMTA, see http://openmta.org

[Closes 22 Mar 2018] Vacancy for Lecturer or Senior Lecturer in Synthetic Biology at University of Edinburgh

Vacancy: Lecturer or Senior Lecturer in Synthetic Biology

We seek an excellent scientist and inspiring teacher who uses synthetic biology methods in research programmes such as genome engineering, biotechnology, metabolic engineering, genetic circuit design and engineering (both in vivo and cell free), bio-sensing, multi-cellularity and tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, novel vaccine development or addresses key questions in molecular or cell biology. The Edinburgh Genome Foundry’s facilities for automated DNA assembly can support large-scale synthetic biology and synthetic genomics research and we would be particularly enthusiastic about research programmes that took advantage of these capabilities.

You will have the ability, enthusiasm and breadth of vision required to be a future leader in this rapidly moving field. You will pursue an independent research programme, working collaboratively and leading a team. You must have an established track record of relevant publications and the potential to win future investment in research, and will be expected to engage with both commercial and public research users and funders. You will be enthusiastic about teaching and student-centred learning for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The University of Edinburgh is a vibrant, research-driven community offering opportunities to work with internationally leading academics whose visions are shaping tomorrow’s world. The School of Biological Sciences is one of the UK’s largest and most highly rated life sciences departments, providing an innovative environment for research and teaching with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research. SynthSys, the Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, is one of the largest groupings of systems and synthetic biologists in the UK with expertise ranging from microbes to mammalian cells working on applications in biotechnology and medicine as well as contributing to foundational and fundamental research. SynthSys is highly multidisciplinary with members from the schools of engineering, informatics, chemistry, physics, social sciences, medicine as well as biological sciences. You will join a team of group leaders working at the interface between molecular cell biology and quantitative science, with strong links in biotechnology.

Informal enquiries: Prof Susan Rosser susan.rosser@ed.ac.uk

This posts are full time and open ended.

Salary: UE08 £39,992 - £47,722 per annum / UE09: £50,618 - £56,950 per annum

Closing Date: Thursday 22nd March 2018 at 5pm (GMT)

To apply: www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk search for #042732

Postdoc representatives sought for University of Cambridge Open Research Working Group

The Open Research Working Group will convene in Lent Term 2018 to define and develop the University’s approach to open research, including open access to publications and open research data. The working group is seeking two postdoc representatives with some background or interest in open research, one from STEM and one from AHSS.

This opportunity may appeal to those working in the open technology area, with OpenPlant or who have received OpenPlant or SynBio Fund support and have some interest in or experience of open research.

Remit of the Working Group

The Open Research Working Group will be convened in the Lent Term 2018 to clarify the University’s needs and expectations on Open Research. The group will define and agree on the University’s stance on Open Research and help shape service, infrastructure and policy developments in response to the Open Research agenda. Broadly speaking, Open Research is taken to mean the overall drive towards sharing (data, method, outputs) of University research, and the changing research and dissemination practices intended to maximise public access to these. Open Research is inclusive of Open Access to research publications and doctoral theses and the processes and planning involved in research data management which can, where appropriate, lead to the sharing of Open Data.

Level of Commitment

The working group is a short-term commitment of 4-5 meetings between Feb and June 2018. It is an excellent opportunity to voice the perspective of postdocs in how the University addresses this important topic, as well as valuable experience for an academic careers.

Contact james.brown@admin.cam.ac.uk if you are interested in this opportunity.

Apply now for eLife Innovation Sprint - bringing cutting-edge technology to open research

The eLife Innovation Sprint is a two-day challenge on 10-11 May 2018 for developers, designers, technologists and researchers to collaboratively prototype innovations that bring cutting-edge technology to open research.

The eLife Innovation Initiative have been working to improve research transparency and accessibility, and accelerate discovery in the life sciences, by developing open-source technologies in collaboration with the wider community. They have heard many excellent ideas for transforming how the latest science is shared, built upon and recognised, and  they want to create a space that would help translate these ideas into action.

By bringing ideators, creators and users together for the Innovation Sprint, they hope to provide space, time and access to diverse skill sets for the community to develop their ideas into prototypes and forge new collaborations.

eLife invite you — whether change maker or web wrangler, UX champion or data tinkerer — to apply to participate in person.

Apply now >>

Applications will close at 9am GMT on March 5 2018, and we aim to communicate the outcome of each application by March 23 2018.

[Closes 16 April] Accepting applications for the 2018 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Summer Course in Synthetic Biology

We are now accepting applications for the 2018 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Summer Course in Synthetic Biology. We encourage you, your colleagues, and/or your trainees to apply if…

• You are a scientist whose training is well underway (senior graduate student to junior faculty and beyond).
• You are interested in steering your research in a new direction, towards synthetic biology.
• You are interested in a multi-disciplinary approach to biology and bioengineering. We encourage students of all backgrounds, whether the very biological or very theoretical, to apply!
• You work in the field of synthetic biology and are interested in new techniques.

Since the course began in 2013, industry professionals, graduate students, postdocs, science educators, and junior faculty have completed our immersive two-week laboratory class. The Course will focus on how the complexity of biological systems, combined with traditional engineering approaches, results in the emergence of new design principles for synthetic biology. Students will work in teams to learn the practical and theoretical underpinnings of cutting edge research in the area of Synthetic Biology. In addition, students will gain a broad overview of current applications of synthetic biology by interacting with a panel of internationally-recognized speakers from academia and industry during seminars, lab work, social activities.

Scholarships: Several stipend awards are available for applicants who are accepted into the course. Please read details about the available stipend awards at: https://meetings.cshl.edu/sponsors.aspx?course=C-SYNBIO&year=18

In order to be considered for an award, you must specifically reference which one you are eligible for in the Stipend Request section of your application.

• Course dates: July 24 - August 6, 2018
• Application deadline: April 15, 2018
• Application submission information: http://meetings.cshl.edu/courses/2018/c-synbio18.shtml
• Course blog & website: https://cshlsynbio.wordpress.com/

[Closes 28 Feb] Early registration now open for Crossing Kingdoms: an international synthetic biology symposium

Crossing Kingdoms is an international 3 day-event bringing together scientists from the microbial, animal and plant fields to present their results and highlighting how knowledge from these different life forms provide tools for synthetic biology innovations and applications.

Registration for Crossing Kingdoms is now open.

 

Abstract submission

Submissions for oral and poster presentations  are welcome.  To submit a pdf or Word file containing your abstract please complete the electronic submission form here.

List of confirmed speakers:

• Pamela Silver, Harvard University
• Matias Zurbriggen, University of Düsseldorf
• Chang Liu, UC Irvine
• Dan Voytas, University of Minnesota
• Ben Blount, Imperial College
• Sean Cutler, UC Riverside
• Alison Smith, University of Cambridge
• Giles Oldroyd , Sainsbury Laboratory – University of Cambridge
• Anne Osbourn, John Innes Centre

Organisers:

Alain Tissier (Halle) and Philip Wigge (Cambridge).
Supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and ERA-SynBio.

Download the conference poster for your noticeboard

[Closes 12 Mar 2018] OpenPlant and SynBio SRI seek new Coordinator - apply now!

The University of Cambridge is seeking a Co-ordinator for two Synthetic Biology research initiatives. The role-holder would work 50% to support the OpenPlant Synthetic Biology Research Centre and 50% with the Synthetic Biology Strategic Research Initiative (SynBio SRI).

We are seeking a Co-ordinator for two Synthetic Biology research initiatives at the University of Cambridge. The role-holder would work 50% to support the OpenPlant Synthetic Biology Research Centre and 50% with the Synthetic Biology Strategic Research Initiative (SynBio SRI). The purpose of the role is to help develop and implement a strategy that will enable both initiatives to become known leaders in the field and sustainable in the longer term.

OpenPlant (http://openplant.org) is a consortium funded by BBSRC and EPSRC comprising 20 labs spanning the University of Cambridge, John Innes Centre and the Earlham Institute (Norwich). The work of the Research Centre is intended to promote novel research on tools and applied traits for plant synthetic biology, open sharing of foundational technologies, and responsible innovation. The role-holder will work with the OpenPlant Directors and Management Group, including the OpenPlant Project Manager based in Norwich, to co-ordinate a variety of activities within the Research Centre.

The SynBio SRI (http://synbio.cam.ac.uk) aims to catalyse interdisciplinary exchange between engineering, physics, biology and social sciences to advance Synthetic Biology at the University of Cambridge. The role-holder will work with the SRI Co-Chairs and Steering Committee to develop, plan and deliver the SRI's vision and strategy. They will facilitate efforts to promote development of open technologies, build shared resources, and provide a hub for networking and discussion.

Responsibilities will also include co-ordinating seed funding competitions such as the Biomaker Challenge and OpenPlant Fund; organising formal and informal scientific meetings and forums; developing and managing relationships with stakeholders within and external to the University; seeking small and large-scale funding for future activities. The role-holder is additionally responsible for ensuring that synthetic biology activities in Cambridge are actively communicated and promoted, and is supported by the part-time SynBio SRI Events and Communication Co-ordinator.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in a relevant field and knowledge of Synthetic Biology research, policy and practice. They will have the ability to foster relationships with and between academics at all levels in an interdisciplinary context, and build partnerships with companies, funders and policy makers. A successful track record in attracting research funding would be advantageous. Excellent organisational and communications skills are essential, together with proven problem-solving skills and initiative.

 For more information and to apply >>