Research Assistant

We are looking to appoint a highly motivated Research Assistant with a strong interest in infectious disease research to join Dr Melissa Hart’s group at the Royal Veterinary College (Hawkshead campus). This 4-year, Wellcome Trust–funded position will contribute to an innovative research programme exploring how Plasmodium and Babesia parasites invade red blood cells and establish distinct intracellular niches.

About the Project

Plasmodium and Babesia parasites, which cause malaria and malaria-like disease (babesiosis) in humans and animals must invade and replicate within RBCs to survive – but each pathogen forms and modifies its intracellular niche very differently. Both enter RBCs via a parasite-generated molecular portal, called the ‘moving junction’, a process which simultaneously creates a membrane-bound home (the ‘parasitophorous vacuole membrane’, or PVM) around the invading parasite, separating it from the host cell cytoplasm. However, whilst Plasmodium parasites remain and grow within their PVMs, Babesia rapidly destroy their PVMs after invasion and continue their development within the RBC cytoplasm. Using CRISPR Cas9 approaches in combination with real-time microscopy, we aim to dissect the distinct molecular mechanisms each pathogen employs to form a moving junction and PVM, and in doing so, understand how these differences lead to PVM stability or destruction. Understanding how these parasites build and rapidly remodel their intracellular homes will help us identify critical, targetable weaknesses in their survival strategies to design therapeutic interventions against them.

The Role

The successful candidate will work within a collaborative research team and contribute to the following activities:

• In vitro cell culture and synchronization of Plasmodium and Babesia parasites
• Generating transgenic Plasmodium and Babesia parasites using CRISPR Cas9 techniques.
• Phenotyping transgenic parasites using microscopy and molecular parasitology techniques
• General organization and smooth running of the laboratory

About You

We are seeking an enthusiastic, highly organised, and motivated individual who is keen to develop their research skills in a dynamic laboratory setting.

Essential criteria:

• MSc in biological sciences, biomedical sciences, microbiology, parasitology or a closely related subject.
• Practical experience with in vitro cell culture (essential) and molecular biology techniques (desired)
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team

Funding

This post is funded for 4 years, starting in March 2026. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Melissa Hart by email: mhart@rvc.ac.uk. We promote equality of opportunity and diversity within the workplace and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role

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