Research Technician

Location: Primarily based on our White City campus with some work at South Kensington.

About the role:

Following a £45 million pledge from GSK to support the Fleming Initiative’s efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we are seeking a talented technician to join the team in the join the group of Dr Andrew Edwards at Imperial College London. This role will support the generation of high-throughput mass spectrometry (MS) data to power state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) models to build a chemical ‘rule book’ for small molecule accumulation in bacteria. The position is available full time, starting in February 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a significant and growing global health threat, with recent projections estimating that 39 million deaths will be directly attributed to AMR between 2025–2050. Of particular concern are Gram-negative bacteria which possess two cell membranes, including a hard-to-penetrate outer membrane decorated with efficient efflux systems. These structural barriers severely limit intracellular accumulation of antibiotic drugs, rendering many ineffective. Despite a renewed focus on AMR research, there is still limited understanding of how to develop antibiotics that can cross these membranes and accumulate within bacteria.

What you would be doing:

You will:

• Focus on optimising and supporting high-throughput assays that measure small molecule accumulation in Gram-negative bacteria. The data generated from these experiments will feed into the development of state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) models to build a chemical ‘rule book’ for small molecule accumulation in bacteria, as well as understand the biological factors that influence this.
• Contribute to a dynamic and ambitious Grand Challenge Project, funded by GSK and the Fleming Initiative.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams, from assay design, small molecule screens and chemical biology and microbiology (Prof Ed Tate) to data science (Dr Marko Storch) and AI/ML (Prof. Alessandra Russo, Prof. Ramon Villar, Prof. Mauricio Barahona).
• Support general aspects of the project such as supervising students and junior staff members, liaising with collaborators, preparing reports and publications, and presenting data at meetings.
• We are looking for candidates who can thrive in this dynamic and creative environment and take optimal advantage of the many training opportunities it provides.

What we are looking for:

• Master’s degree in bacteriology or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in working with molecular and/or biochemical assays.
• Ability to work collaboratively, plan experiments, troubleshoot assays, undertake data analysis, and use safe laboratory working practices.
• Experience in working with pathogenic bacteria; knowledge of antibiotics and resistance; assay development.

What we can offer you:

• Become part of a multidisciplinary team working on one of the major challenges in antibiotic drug discovery.
• The opportunity to develop your research career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes).

Further Information

This is a full-time, fixed-term contract for 30 months.

For further details about the role, please contact: Dr Andrew Edwards – a.edwards@imperial.ac.uk

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