Research Assistant (Molecular Biology and Microbiology)

The laboratory of Professor Neil Hunter FRS in the School of Biosciences seeks a Research Assistant to work on a collaborative project funded by an ERC Synergy award. The postholder will collaborate with researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich and Centre Algatech, Trebon, Czech Republic, as part of the Synergy research programme.

The aims of the Sheffield part of the Synergy PhotoRedesign project relevant to this position are to: (1) genetically engineer a range of photosynthetic microorganisms to produce combinations of non-native proteins and pigments; (2) characterise the pigment content of engineered strains and isolated protein complexes using techniques such as absorption spectroscopy and LC-MS; (3) use protein design tools to design new protein scaffolds or modify existing ones; and (4) utilise adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) to enhance the growth of genetically engineered strains and identify mutations using genomic sequencing.

Applicants must hold a degree in a relevant subject area and have a strong background in molecular biology and microbiology, ideally using a combination of E. coli, cyanobacteria, purple bacteria and other phototrophic microorganisms. Experience in techniques such as markerless genomic manipulation and CRISPR-Cas gene editing are essential, alongside the ability to purify membrane and membrane-extrinsic proteins, work with light- and oxygen-sensitive pigments, and perform small molecule analysis using techniques such as HPLC and mass spectrometry.

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