Research Associate in Soil Holobionts

About the role:

The Bell Lab in the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, invites applications for an enthusiastic Research Associate with expertise in environmental microbiology and bioinformatics.

The Bell Lab uses a combination of field and lab experiments to study the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of bacterial communities. The goal of the lab is to identify the general principals of microbial ecology in order to understand how these complex communities operate in natural systems.

This position is funded by the Leverhulme Centre for the Holobiont and aims to understand the transmission of microbiomes among soil invertebrate hosts and their environment. You will benefit from opportunities to collaborate with other researchers across this multi-disciplinary centre, with diverse interests such as computational modelling, systems biology, and field ecology.

What you would be doing:

You will lead experiments aimed at understanding how host organisms regulate the composition of their microbiomes, and the extent to which host microbiomes are determined by encounters with environmental microbes as hosts move through the soil matrix.

You will:

• Lead experiments that survey and manipulate the microbiomes of soil invertebrates.
• Collect and characterise the microbes associated with soil invertebrates using ‘omics techniques.
• Develop bioinformatics techniques to integrate and analyse these complex datasets.

What we are looking for:

• A PhD (or equivalent) in environmental microbiology or a related discipline.
• Enthusiasm for the design and execution of microbial experiments in the lab and field.
• Experience in molecular biology techniques (DNA extraction, PCR, library prep) for microbial community characterisation.
• Ability to develop bioinformatics approaches to data analysis alongside the experimental work.
• Ability to form positive relationships with a wide range of people and to work as part of a team, as well as independently.
• Eagerness to support undergraduate and postgraduate student projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and to be able to write clearly and succinctly for publication.

What we can offer you:

• Being part of a large network of partners across Imperial and at associated institutions who are involved with the Leverhulme Centre for the Holobiont.
• Inclusion in a vibrant team at Silwood Park Campus working on many aspects of microbiomes and holobionts.
• The opportunity to continue your 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

The post is funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The contract is fixed-term full-time for up to 36 months.

The post is based at Silwood Park Campus. Experiments and lab work will mean that the post would be based on site.

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: Professor Thomas Bell, thomas.bell@imperial.ac.uk

Advert information