Research Associate/Fellow

BBSRC sLoLa Synthetic Biology - Nottingham 

Fixed term 

£24,766 - £30,424 per annum, depending on skills & experience.  Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance – (£27,047 maximum without PhD). 

GASCHEM: Optimising industrial gas fermentation for commercial low-carbon fuel and chemical production through systems and synthetic biology approaches 

The Clostridia Research Group (http://www.clostron.com/people.php) is part of the BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre (BSBEC) and are located in state-of-the-art facilities in the Centre for Biomolecular Sciences (http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cbs), a multidisciplinary research environment with frequent seminars and a vibrant microbial research community. The post will also interact closely with LanzaTech, ranked number three on the list of the "50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy" by Biofuels Digest. The CRG are part of existing Systems Biology networks within SysMO, while Nottingham is the home of the Centre of Plant Integrative Biology. 

Acetogenic Clostridium species, are able to capture carbon (CO or CO2) through anaerobic gas fermentation. This enables low carbon fuels and chemicals to be produced in any industrialised geography without consumption of valuable food or land resources. The Clostridia Research Group at the University of Nottingham has been awarded a £2.9M BBSRC strategic LoLa (Longer and Larger) grant of 5 years duration. The project is part-funded by LanzaTech and will:

• take a systems approach to understanding the metabolic pathways leading from gas uptake to its conversion to biofuels
• use metabolic engineering to manipulate products streams
• extend product range to more high value fuels & chemicals using a synthetic biology approach
• evaluate the modified strains in laboratory, pilot, and eventually, demonstration scale at LanzaTech 

To accomplish the above aims we are seeking an innovative scientist with a proven track record in the development of genome-scale metabolic models as a tool to support metabolic engineering. The successful candidate will be expected to both generate and iteratively adapt genome models to inform the activities of the experimentalists on the project.  Past experience in multidisciplinary projects involving the design of parts in synthetic biology approaches would be an advantage. 

Candidates should have a PhD (or equivalent) or be close to completion, in an appropriate mathematical, computational or biological discipline and extensive postgraduate experience of genome-scale metabolic modelling. 

This post will be offered on a fixed-term until 31 August 2018. 

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor N Minton, email: nigel.minton@nottingham.ac.uk or  Dr K Winzer, email: klaus.winzer@nottingham.ac.uk.  Please note that applications sent directly to these email addresses will not be accepted. 

For more details and/or to apply on-line please access: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Jobs/CurrentVacancies/ref/MED1186. If you are unable to apply on-line please contact the Human Resources Department, tel: 0115 951 5206. 

Please quote ref. MED/1186.  Closing date: 30 May 2013.