Postdoctoral Researcher

We are seeking an exceptional Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Crop Epigenetics group lead by Dr Claudia Martinho. Based within the Department of Plant Sciences at the James Hutton Institute, the successful applicant will join a vibrant and highly collaborative research environment with access to state-of-the-art genomics, bioinformatics and plant growth facilities. We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic scientist to help uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying transcriptional stress memory in crop plants. The project will investigate how epigenetic regulation influences gene expression and stress memory, with the long-term goal of improving crop resilience to climate change.

This is a fixed-term appointment for 36 months, with the possibility of an extension subject to the project status and the availability of funding. Placement on the grade 7 salary scale is dependent on you having a PhD.

The Crop Epigenetics Group uses strawberry and tomato to study how epigenetic information is established, maintained and transmitted, with the long-term goal of harnessing these mechanisms to improve crop resilience to climate change. As a Postdoctoral Researcher, you will play a key role in delivering an ambitious research programme investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic stress memory in crop plants. You will employ state-of-the-art genomics, epigenomics and molecular biology approaches to determine how epigenetic regulation affects gene expression and transcriptional memory in response to heat stress. The post will particularly suit applicants with both extensive computational genomics expertise and molecular biology skills. You will work closely with members of the Crop Epigenetics Group, collaborators at the University of Dundee and the James Hutton Institute, and national and international partners to advance cutting-edge research in plant epigenetics an d functional genomics.

You will be responsible for:

• Lead an interdisciplinary research project to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic stress memory in crop plants
• Design and carry out molecular biology, genomics and epigenomics experiments to determine how epigenetic regulation controls gene expression and stress memory
• Generate, analyse and integrate multi-omics datasets to identify key regulators of transcriptional stress memory.
• Disseminate research findings through high-quality publications, conference presentations and collaborative activities to maximise the scientific impact of the project.
• Contribute to the supervision of students and technicians and the effective day-to-day operation of the laboratory to support a collaborative, productive and sustainable research environment.

Who we're looking for

• Essential
  • A PhD (or near completion) in Plant Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics or a closely related discipline.
  • Knowledge of epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation and chromatin biology.
  • Experience designing, performing and analysing next-generation sequencing experiments, including RNA-seq, DNA methylation quantification using Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing and ChIP-seq.
  • Experience analysing large-scale genomics datasets using reproducible computational workflows, with proficiency in Bash and knowledge of R and/or Python.
  • Excellent communication, organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment.
  • A strong publication record commensurate with career stage and the ability to communicate research through scientific publications and presentations.
• Desirable
  • Experience with single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), and ATAC-seq or other advanced genomics technologies.
  • Experience with plant transformation, tissue culture and CRISPR-based genome or epigenome editing

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