[Closes 7 October 2016] Postdoctoral position in synthetic biology at University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in the group of Professor Yolanda Schaerli, Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland to build synthetic gene regulatory networks in E. coli.

Postdoctoral position in synthetic biology

• Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne
• Starting date: March 1st 2017 or by arrangement

Qualification:

Candidates should hold a PhD in life sciences and have a strong background in synthetic and/or molecular biology. Experience with RNA circuits or computational modelling would be a plus.

Postdoctoral applicants should have one or more first-author publications in major peer-reviewed international journals. A good command of the English language, a high personal motivation to excel in science and a curious mind are required. 

Work description:

The Schaerli lab (www.yschaerli.com) carries out interdisciplinary research at the interface between synthetic, systems and evolutionary biology. We will move to the Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne in January 2017. We are looking for a motivated post-doc to join our team in Lausanne. 

The selected candidate will work on building synthetic gene regulatory networks in the chassis E. coli, using a combination of experimental and computational approaches. In the second phase of the project these networks will be subjected to laboratory evolution experiments to test evolutionary hypotheses. The postdoc will have the opportunity to lead research projects and work with motivated PhD and Master students. The qualified candidate will benefit from working in a very stimulating and international research environment in a young team with access to state of the art facilities.

How to apply:

Please send your full application including motivation letter, CV, list of publications and the names and addresses of three referees to: yolanda.schaerli at unil.ch.

[Closes 1 Nov 2016] Job advert for Chair in Synthetic Biology at Concordia University, Montreal

Concordia University, Montreal, Canada are advertising a tenure track position of "Canada Research Chair Tier II in Synthetic Biology". Deadline for applications is 1 November 2016. The position is advertised in both Science and Nature:

http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/590769-canada-research-chair-tier-ii-in-synthetic-biology

http://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/423510/canada-research-chair-tier-ii-in-synthetic-biology/

[Closes 31 Aug 2016] Job opportunity for Synthetic Biology SRI Administrative Assistant

The Synthetic Biology Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) is based in the Department of Plant Sciences. We are seeking a part-time (0.5FTE) Administrative Assistant who will work closely with the SRI Co-ordinator, Dr Jenny Molloy, in the research group of Professor Jim Haseloff (SRI Chair).

The role-holder will provide administrative support to the Synthetic Biology SRI Co-ordinator, maintain a website for the initiative, assist with events, publicity organisation, committee meetings and other related administration.

The successful candidate will have an A-Level in Biology, or equivalent; knowledge of web design and implementation; the ability to use social media as a PR tool in a professional setting; events management experience. You will have excellent communication skills and a pro-active and flexible approach.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, see the listing on jobs.ac.uk.

[Closes 14 Aug 2016] Vacancy at Earlham Institute, Postdoctoral Researcher - Synthetic Biology

Application deadline 14 Aug 2016Apply here >> The Synthetic Biology Group at the Earlham Institute is part of the science faculty and is engaged in engineering photosynthetic organisms for bio-production and improving plants for increased production and nutritive value. We are interested in the development of foundational tools and technologies for plant synthetic biology and also in applying such tools, including precision genome engineering technologies, to adapt photosynthetic organisms for industrial biotechnology and to make crops that are healthier to consume and less environmentally damaging to cultivate. We believe in responsible and open innovation and science and are actively engaged with efforts to extend this ethos to bioresources.

We currently have an opportunity for an outstanding post-doctoral scientist within our Synthetic Biology Group. The candidate must have a comprehensive understanding of the principles of genomics and molecular biology, and be proficient in techniques used in the design and construction of genetic circuits.

The project aims to design and assess novel synthetic regulatory elements for plants. In doing so we will gain an understanding of plant promoter architecture and advance technologies for quantifying expression from genetic circuits in plant cells.

The post holder will have a PhD in Synthetic Biology, Molecular Biology, Plant Molecular Biology or a related subject with an understanding of the control of transcription and gene expression, particularly in eukaryotes. Experience in molecular biology laboratory techniques, including molecular cloning, recombinant DNA technologies, genotyping and assessment of gene expression is essential and experience in genomic data analysis and transformation and transfection of plant cells is desirable.

The post holder will have access to the cutting edge laboratory automation facilities in the Earlham Institute’s DNA Foundry and also interact with other synthetic biology ventures on Norwich Science Park e.g. the OpenPlant Synthetic Biology Centre.

The Earlham Institute is a vibrant, contemporary research institute. We host one of the largest computing hardware facilities dedicated to life science research in Europe and our aim is to ensure that biological science in the UK has access to a skill base in genomics and bioinformatics to deliver programmes leading to improved food security, advances in industrial biotechnology and improved human health and wellbeing.

At EI we offer competitive salaries, excellent defined contribution pension scheme, life assurance, tailored learning and development and onsite sports facilities that are available to all staff and their guests.

Cambridge Consultants: Senior Scientist – Synthetic Biology

From the Cambridge Consultants website:

We are looking for an outstanding molecular biologist to drive this work forward.  With current expert knowledge in molecular biology techniques you will form the core of the team carrying out work in our labs and delivering answers to our clients.

As Senior Scientist – Synthetic Biology you will play a key role in establishing our technical ability in this new field.

Working with the Head of Synthetic Biology, your main purpose will be to establish the Cambridge Consultants biology lab as a centre for engineering biological systems in bacteria and yeast and use this facility to perform client projects.  You will help build a capability that can design, build and test biological systems in a rapid and cost-effective way.

You will do this by:

• Providing expert scientific knowledge in molecular biology and genetics, particularly the functions and processes within cells and the current methods and techniques used in the lab to characterise nucleic acids, proteins and metabolites
• Designing DNA constructs to meet specific phenotypic or metabolomic requirements
• Designing and executing experimental protocols to transform, culture and characterise cells
• Providing oversight and management of the biology lab, particularly for biological health and safety matters and for data management within the lab.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on, experienced, senior scientist, who wants to build their technical capabilities, create an efficient lab for engineering biology and deliver excellent solutions to client problems.  You will be used to working in multidisciplinary teams alongside other scientific and technical experts.

Read more and apply >>>

[Closes 29 April 2016] PDRA in Sustainable PoLymers from Algae Sugars and Hydrocarbons (University of Cambridge)

Applications are invited for a fixed term Postdoctoral Research Associate position to join an EU FP7 Collaborative Project SPLASH (Sustainable PoLymers from Algae Sugars and Hydrocarbons). The post holder will verify the function of the putative genes from B. braunii using a synthetic biology pipeline.

For more details and to apply see the Department of Plant Sciences page >>

Applications are invited for a fixed term Postdoctoral Research Associate position to join an EU FP7 Collaborative Project SPLASH (Sustainable PoLymers from Algae Sugars and Hydrocarbons). This multidisciplinary project brings together over 20 different partners from academia and industry to investigate the possibility of making plastics from extracellular polysaccharides and hydrocarbons produced by the oleaginous green alga Botryococcus braunii. A major aspect of the work is to sequence the genome of B. braunii, and to carry out transcriptomic / proteomic / metabolomics analysis to identify putative genes encoding enzymes involved in synthesis of these polymers.

The post holder will be based in central Cambridge and work in the group of Prof Alison Smith to verify the function of the putative genes from B. braunii by expression in a heterologous host, namely Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The approach taken will involve a synthetic biology pipeline, using standard parts and workflow already developed in Prof. Smith's lab.

The successful candidate must have a PhD in an appropriate field, and research experience in molecular biology (ideally including synthetic biology approaches), and genetic engineering of microorganisms, together with a good knowledge of regulation of gene expression and metabolism. Experience with laboratory handling of microalgae or microbiology, and/or analysis of RNA seq data, is highly desirable.

• Salary: £28,982-£37,768
• Closing date: 29 April 2016
• Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 year in the first instance.
• Download: Further details.
• You can apply online for this vacancy. You will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.
• Please quote reference PD08762 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The interviews are scheduled to be held in the week beginning 2 May 2016 as the position is available for an immediate start. For more information contact Alison Smith (algae@plantsci.cam.ac.uk).

The University values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity.  The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

[Closes 17 Mar 2016] Postdoctoral Research Fellow in SynBio Governance

The Innogen Institute is advertising for a research fellow to take up a 2-year post to work in collaboration with two large science projects in the University of Edinburgh, the UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology (CMSB) and Implantable Micro-systems for Personalised Anti-Cancer Therapy (IMPACT).

You will conduct social/policy research for two science projects, UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology (CMSB) and Implantable Micro-systems for Personalised Anti-Cancer Therapy (IMPACT), investigating the governance processes in place for the relevant technologies and how they will influence future innovative value chains.

This is a fixed term, full time post tenable for a 24 month period from a flexible start date of 2 May 2016. This post attracts an annual salary of £31,656 to £37,768 per annum based on 35 hours each week (pro rata).

Closing Date: 5pm (GMT) on Thursday 17th March 2016.

Read more >>>

OpenPlant seeks a Laboratory Research Technician (Fixed Term)

More info and application >>>

A position is open for a Research Technician in the OpenPlant Laboratory in Cambridge, based in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, under the direction of Prof. Jim Haseloff.

Work there will focus on the development of foundational technologies for engineering of the model plant Marchantia polymorpha. The newly renovated laboratory houses state of the art equipment for automated DNA assembly, genome editing, plant transformation, cytometry and high throughput microscopy.

The appointee will work closely to the OpenPlant Laboratory Manager and the successful candidate will be involved in: - Assisting in the maintenance of the lab and providing general laboratory support work. - Supporting plant transformation and tissue culture workflows in a high throughput environment. - Providing technical support for microbiological, molecular biology and microscopy experiments in a synthetic biology lab.

The successful candidate will have a background in molecular biology or synthetic biology, and demonstrate an ability to work independently. Experience with tissue culture procedures, plant work, synthetic biology techniques, microscopy, and laboratory management will be advantageous.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 2 September 2019 in the first instance.

OpenPlant Post-doctoral Research Associate position (deadline 22 Dec)

Applications are invited for a Post-doctoral Research Associate position in the group of Dr Sebastian Schornack at the Sainsbury Laboratory (SLCU), Cambridge University, to study early descendant land plants.

Apply here >>>

The position is part of the OpenPlant (http://openplant.org/) project. OpenPlant is a BBSRC-EPSRC funded Synthetic Biology Research Centre. It is based in the United Kingdom and is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge, the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory Norwich. The successful candidate will benefit from engagement with laboratories in all partner organisations.

Along our group's general interest in understanding principles of plant colonisation by filamentous microbes, the candidate will study filamentous pathogen interactions with liverworts and hornworts. Main model organisms will be the Agrobacterium-transformable liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and related species. The successful candidate will develop new molecular biological and genetic resources (in particular TAL effector activators and repressors) to modulate gene expression in early descendant plants (e.g. Liverworts/hornworts). The candidate will be provided with horticultural/technician support and will be able to team up with post docs studying plant-microbe interactions in angiosperms.

Candidates must have, or be close to completing, a PhD in Plant Biology, Plant Biotechnology, or related field. Knowledge of modular cloning strategies such as GoldenGate cloning is essential. Previous experience with synthetic biology and/or TAL effector assembly as well as handling of sterile plants, Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation or knowledge on plant-microbe interactions, is desirable. Also desirable is previous experience with liverworts, hornworts or other early descendant plants. Proficiency in sequence analysis, general biological databases, qPCR analysis and confocal fluorescence microscopy is also required.

The successful candidate will be fully involved in the basic research in these areas whilst also writing up their research work for presentation and publication. The post holder may be required to assist in the supervision of student projects, provide instructions to students and deliver seminars relating to their research area.

Good communication skills are essential as the post holder will need to work well in a team and collaborate with other researchers in the Institute. Candidates would ideally have published or submitted papers in this area. Candidates should demonstrate a history of science communication (e.g. presentations, outreach activities, teaching).

The Laboratory provides a welcoming and collaborative environment with a wide-range of family-friendly benefits and development opportunities. More about the Sainsbury Laboratory, generic further information for the role and details of what the University offers to employees, can be found at: http://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Job: Lectureship in Synthetic Biology

The Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology and Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex BioSystems (ICOS) research group are recruiting a tenured track Lectureship/Senior Lectureship (Assistant or Associate Professor in the American system) in

Synthetic Biology/Nanotechnology. Early applications are encouraged.

For informal enquires please contact the CSBB director, Professor Natalio Krasnogor.

Read more details about and how to apply for this exciting post.

ZuvaSyntha scientist and business development vacancies (based in BioPark Hertfordshire)

More info in the ZuvaSyntha website ZuvaSyntha is a young and exciting UK SME working in the rapidly expanding Industrial Biotechnology sector. Recently formed through the merger of BioSyntha Technology Ltd and ZuvaChem LLC, we are developing novel microbial-based routes to renewable intermediate and specialty chemicals.

ZuvaSyntha is planning to expand and seeks to appoint outstanding candidates for the following roles:

• Business Development Manager
• Senior Biochemist
• Scientist/Senior Scientist in Molecular Biology and Strain Development

Postdoc vacancies at SynthSys, Edinburgh (close mid- to late-July 2015)

More info from SynthSys website

Molecular microbiologist position at Synthace

More info and to apply We require a molecular microbiologist, ideally experienced in the genetic manipulation of a diversity of microbial species.

We’re looking for someone who will thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic atmosphere, acting on their own initiative to solve complex problems. Candidates will need a PhD or equivalent experience and a strong track record of delivering high quality, quantitative results in a commercial or academic environment.

Synthace is committed to transforming the productivity of bioengineering through automation, computation and mathematics, so a willingness to work in a highly disciplinary environment and embrace cutting edge working practices is essential. Experience with automation or coding is an advantage.

SynthSys Mammalian Postdoc (closes 20 July)

More info at SynthSysEd website A highly motivated and talented Postdoctoral Research Associate is invited to join the laboratories of Dr. Abdenour Soufi and Prof. Susan Rosser at the University of Edinburgh to develop novel synthetic Biology tools for Cellular reprogramming applications. This is part of SynthSys Mammalian, which is a BBSRC/EPSRC/MRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), hosted by the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh.

We are particularly interested in the interaction between transcription factors and chromatin during the conversion of human fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) (Soufi et al; Cell 2015, Soufi et al; Cell 2012). This collaborative project will focus on engineering synthetic transcription factors and will employ a wide range of techniques including; synthetic DNA-assembly and high-throughput-cloning, engineering synthetic transcription factors such as TALEs and ZFGs, human stem cell culture and lentivirus production, Next Generation Sequencing based techniques such as ChIP-seq, recombinant protein purification, DNA-protein interaction analysis such as EMSA and DNase-footprinting.

The successful candidate requires a PhD (or soon to be awarded) in an appropriate discipline with clear evidence of independent research capabilities. Knowledge and past experience in synthetic transcription factors, cellular reprogramming, stem cells and epigenetics are highly desirable.

The post is full-time for a fixed term of 3 years.

Junior Interdisciplinary Fellowship (Wellcome Trust/University of Cambridge - closes 22 July 2015)

Full details are available via the University of Cambridge.

The scheme is aimed at suitably qualified post-doctoral candidates with backgrounds in the physical sciences (incl. engineering, mathematics and computer sciences) who wish to gain experience in the application of their research to solve problems in the basic biological and biomedical sciences.

The fellowships are intended to provide opportunities for award holders to gain experience in applying biological approaches, and/or apply novel theoretical or experimental techniques from the physical sciences to address biological problems. In addition, it is hoped that this scheme will foster longer-term collaborations between Principal Investigators from the physical and life sciences disciplines within the University of Cambridge.

Research projects must fall within the broad remit of the Wellcome Trust. The research must be undertaken in laboratories within the School of the Biological Sciences or the School of Clinical Medicine.

Exceptionally, applications from post-doctoral candidates with a background in the life sciences wishing to gain experience working in the physical sciences may also be considered. However, this is not the core focus of the Scheme and it is expected that the host lab has a proven track record of life/physical sciences interdisciplinary research. A non-exclusive list of such labs can be found here: http://www.physbio.group.cam.ac.uk/members.html.

KTN: Synthetic Biology Special Interest Group Lead (closes 19 June 2015)

The Knowledge Transfer Network is a non-profit organisation that is funded by Innovate UK to be the UK’s innovation network across a wide range of sectors. Our main role is to bring together businesses, entrepreneurs, academics and funders to develop new products, processes and services. We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our team to deliver the strategy and activities of the synthetic biology special interest group which was set up to help translate the world-leading research in the UK into commercial applications and to deliver the key recommendations of a strategic roadmap.

More info on the position via the KTN Jobs site

Research Associate/Fellow – Mathematical/Computational Modelling, Nottingham SBRC (closes 18 June 2015)

The aim of the post is to provide research support for the BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC) in the creation and exploitation of gas fermenting microbial chassis as it relates to the sustainable production of chemicals and fuels.  SBRC Nottingham is one of three UK centres created by the BBSRC/EPSRC in 2014 and has received £14.3M in funding for a 5 year period. We are recruiting exceptional post-doctoral researchers to join the modelling and analysis team. The team will conduct cutting edge research into novel computational and mathematical modelling and analysis approaches and development of an integrated software suite to facilitate the rapid development of microbial chassis able to produce a range of platform chemicals. We seek individuals who will focus on biochemical/synthetic biology modelling, whose responsibilities will include development of synthetic biology devices and modelling of biochemical pathways. More info from jobs.ac.uk