Postdoctoral Researcher

Contract: 18 months, full time

Location: John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the laboratory of Professor Antony Dodd for a Postdoctoral Researcher to roles for the circadian clock in plant growth and development, under natural conditions, using AI approaches.

About the John Innes Centre:

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally. 

Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre.

About the Dodd Group:

The Dodd lab investigates how circadian rhythms adapt plants and microorganisms to fluctuating environments. Circadian rhythms are self-sustaining biological cycles, with a period of about 24 h, that provide a biological measure of time.

The role:

The project investigates the role of circadian regulation in plant growth and development under natural conditions. Plant circadian regulation impacts key traits including seasonal flowering, growth, and development. The project will use AI approaches to investigate gene expression dynamics under naturally fluctuating conditions. You will gain new skills in applying AI approaches to well-curated time-series data, collected over decades, to obtain new biological insights.

This project is based in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, working closely with Dr Pirita Paajanen in the Department of Computational and Systems Biology, and collaborating with Professor Hiroshi Kudoh at Kyoto University. 

The ideal candidate:

You will have a PhD in Biology, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or related disciplines. You will have in-depth knowledge of computational analysis and management of biological data, and the ability to understand features of biological problems that are amenable to computational approaches. You will have demonstrated experience in the successful preparation of scientific publications and experience of working with large datasets.

Previous experience in the application of statistics and AI methods is desirable.

Additional information:

Interviews will be held on 20 June 2024.

For further information and details of how to apply, please click on the 'Apply' button above or contact Human Resources on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1004674. This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply.  Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options. 

We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity.  As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment to and good towards advancing gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Advert information