Research Assistant in Temperature-Resolved Microbial Experiments

Location: University of Exeter (Streatham Campus)

About the role:

Join a cutting-edge research project on microbial thermal adaptation (the MICROADAPT project), based at Imperial College London in partnership with the University of Exeter. You will be based in Gabriel Yvon-Durocher’s lab at the University of Exeter, with experimental work co-led by Nick Smirnoff (also at Exeter). Yvon-Durocher is the lead PI of MICROADAPT, with Samraat Pawar (Imperial College London) as theory lead and co-Investigator. You will be employed by Imperial College London but will be embedded full-time in the Exeter lab. 

This post focuses on conducting temperature-resolved microbial experiments and generating multi-omics data. You will carry out microbial growth experiments at multiple temperatures and analyse metabolites and proteins to understand how metabolism changes with temperature, working closely with a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (already in place) focusing on the microbial growth experiments . Key tasks include measuring growth rates, performing metabolomic analyses (LC-MS and GC-MS), quantifying enzyme levels via LC–MS/MS proteomics, conducting carbon-13 metabolic flux analyses, and performing thermal proteome profiling. The data you generate will provide the experimental foundation for building and validating the temperature-dependent Genome-scale metabolic models (TGEMs).

What you would be doing:

• Developing and performing microbial culture experiments at different temperatures to measure growth rates and biomass composition.
• Performing metabolomic assays (e.g. using LC-MS and GC-MS) to quantify extracellular substrate uptake and by-product secretion.
• Conducting proteomics experiments (LC–MS/MS) to quantify enzyme abundances at each temperature.
• Performing carbon-13 metabolic flux analysis (using isotopic tracers) to infer intracellular metabolic fluxes.
• Carrying out thermal proteome profiling experiments (e.g. CETSA) to measure protein stability across temperatures.
• Maintaining detailed laboratory records, processing experimental samples, and assisting with data management and preliminary analysis.
• Collaborating with the modelling team to integrate experimental data into computational workflows.

What we are looking for:

• Research Associate: Hold a PhD in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related discipline, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience
• Research Assistant: Master’s (e.g. MSc, MRes) in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related discipline
• Experience with microbiological or biochemical laboratory techniques, including tissue/cell extraction methods for proteins and small molecules, microbial culture and sterile technique.
• Experience with analytical methods (e.g. HPLC, GC, mass spectrometry) for metabolomics or proteomics sample preparation or data analysis.
• Experience or familiarity with metabolic flux analysis (e.g. using 13C-tracers) is desirable.
• Basic familiarity with data analysis or programming (e.g. Python, R, Matlab) is desirable but not required.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills, with good communication and teamwork abilities.

What we can offer you:

• Work with a dynamic, interdisciplinary research team at Imperial College London and the University of Exeter tackling challenges in climate adaptation and microbial metabolism.
• Opportunity to develop expertise in cutting-edge experimental techniques (metabolomics, proteomics, flux analysis) and to collaborate closely with computational modellers.
• Access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for analytical chemistry and proteomics.
• Professional development and training opportunities in omics technologies and data analysis, with support for career progression.

Further Information

You will be based at the University of Exeter (Streatham Campus), some travel to Imperial College London (Silwood Park Campus) will be required.

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant.

If you require any further details on the role please contact:

Samraat Pawar – s.pawar@imperial.ac.uk

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