[Closes 31 Sep 2017] PhD Studentship in sex chromosome evolution in liverworts

Evolution of sex chromosomes is well-studied in organisms in which sex is expressed in the diploid phase. In such organisms the lack of recombination and the asymmetry in haploidy are assumed to lead to the progressive decay of the Y chromosome. In organisms in which sex is expressed in the haploid phase both U and V chromosomes are equally devoid of recombination and show no asymmetry in recombination suppression. This provides a unique opportunity to tease apart the effect of this two factors on the evolutionary trajectory of sex chromosomes. We are using a combination of classical genetic and comparative genomic approaches to test hypotheses concerning sex chromosome evolution in haploid dioecy using liverworts as a suitable model system (Marchantia polymorpha, Preissia quadrata and many more).

The goal of this project is to (1) develop a new methodology for capturing and sequencing complete sex chromosomes in plant model systems and (2) to reconstruct their evolutionary history both at the gene and structural levels. Therefore, this position involves molecular laboratory work to develop and optimize capturing and sequencing protocols; bioinformatics work to analyze and interpret the generated next- generation sequencing data; and evolutionary and functional genetic analysis of the evolution of sex chromosomes in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha and other liverwort species. This project is aimed at addressing one of the fundamental questions of evolutionary biology, the genetic makeup of sex chromosomes in a haploid plant model organism, via developing a new cutting-edge method for third-generation sequencing.

The student will work 18 months at University of Zurich, Switzerland. The other 18 months at BaseClear, The Netherlands. Peter Szovenyi, University of Zurich; Prof. Elena Conti, University of Zurich, Prof. Michael Lenhard, University of Potsdam; Dr. Walter Pirovano, Dr. Adalberto Costessi and Dr. Daniël Duijsings, BaseClear BV, The Netherlands will jointly supervise the successful candidate. 

This is project is conducted in the framework of PlantHUB. PlantHUB is funded by the H2020 PROGRAMME Marie Curie Actions – People, Initial Training Networks (ITN).

Cambridge Consultant Synthetic Biology PhD Studentship

Cambridge Consultants is building an exciting new business in biotechnology, particularly synthetic biology. They’re working to bring together biology, chemistry and engineering to design and build engineered biological systems. As part of this mission, they're looking for a bright, motivated PhD student to join the team on an internship.

No deadline has been given but the advert was posted in Aug 2017.

With a strong background in biochemistry or molecular biology, the successful applicant will work alongside our scientists and engineers to apply their scientific skills and knowledge to our synthetic biology projects.  They’ll learn how new technology is applied in a business context and the challenges this presents.  

This is a three-month internship with flexible timing.

More information >>

[Closes 1 Sep 2017] Plant Synthetic Biology Assistant/Associate Professor (University of Nebraska)

Plant Synthetic Biology Assistant/Associate Professor The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is committed to conducting world-class research in plant biochemistry and has recently secured a $20 million Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Grant from the NSF to establish the Center for Root and Rhizobiome Innovation (CRRI). Reflecting the institutional commitment to building infrastructure in plant biochemistry, UNL is seeking applicants for nine-month (academic year) tenure-leading Assistant Professor or Associate Professor faculty position (80% research and 20% teaching) in the Department of Biochemistry and the Center for Plant Science Innovation.

They will address the development and application of synthetic biology tools to address questions central to plant biology that contribute to crop productivity and/or quality.

Required qualifications include a PhD or equivalent in biochemistry, biology, molecular biology, plant physiology or related field; a minimum of two years of postdoctoral experience; and a strong record of original research as evidenced by peer- reviewed publications. For Assistant Professor, the incumbent is expected to develop an internationally recognized research program that attracts federal, commodity, international foundation, and/or industry funding leading to research results published in refereed scientific journals and presented at professional meetings. Applicants at the Associate Professor levels must have an externally supported research program and/or sufficient private sector experience, with publication, patent, and presentation outcomes demonstrating sustained and recognized research productivity. The incumbent will broadly address the development of synthetic biology tools, which may include but are not limited to those involving genome editing, gene stacking, and/or RNA-based control of gene expression and apply these tools for studies of photosynthesis, central carbon metabolism, specialized metabolism or other biochemical or biological processes that lead to improved crop germplasm. The ability to apply computational methods for use of large data sets in synthetic biology tool development is also desired. The university offers state of the art proteomics and metabolomics core facilities in the Center for Biotechnology and high-speed computing resources in the Holland Computing Center. Extensive field facilities, state-of-the-art image-based phenotyping instrumentation, breeding resources, and crop transformation core capacity are available to support translational research. This position is part of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources initiative in Stress Biology, which offers a highly collaborative environment to develop focused research programs linked with modern biochemical methodologies, metabolic engineering, metabolomics, genomics, and computational approaches. A competitive start-up package and appropriate laboratory and office space will be offered.

The incumbent will contribute to the teaching mission of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and in particular will develop and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the biochemistry core curriculum. It is expected that the incumbent will contribute to recruitment, retention and placement activities; incorporation of outcomes assessment; engagement in instructional improvement; mentoring undergraduate and graduate students; and serve on department, college, and UNL committees as appropriate.

To learn more about the University of Nebraska, the Department of Biochemistry and the Center for Plant Science Innovation see http://biochem.unl.edu ; http://www.unl.edu/psi/ .

How to Apply

To view details of the position and make application, go to http://employment.unl.edu Search for position F_170058. Click on “Apply to this job.”

Postdoctoral Research Fellow on engineering synthetic phage (Jaramillo Lab, Warwick University)

The goal of the Jaramillo lab is to achieve proof of concept for synthetic phages within the next 3 years. By working at the interface of molecular biology, combinatorial optimisation, microfluidics, directed evolution and 3D printing it is hoped that reaching this goal will accelerate more synthetic biology research globally thus enhancing our ability to combat diseases of the future.

There is no closing date listed, but the advert was posted in Aug 2017

From Warwick University:

“Superbugs…these are our babies…now they have body piercings and anger” - House, TV Show

According to the World Health Organisation antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today. The prevalent use of modern antibiotics over the last century has led to a bacterial arms race with increasingly potent infections proving more difficult to treat as each year passes. As the efficacy of our current armoury of antibiotics wanes, hospital stays lengthen, medical costs rise and without urgent action we will soon enter a post-antibiotic world where common infections will kill once again. While there are some new antibiotics in development, none of them are expected to be effective against the most dangerous forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria of the future.

Is there a possible response that could safeguard humanity? Professor Alfonso Jaramillo thinks so and his lab at the University of Warwick is working hard to provide such a solution. It is a multidisciplinary lab that develops novel automated methodologies for design optimisation using computers, viruses or living cells for use in Phage Therapy. The ambition is the eventual development of synthetic phages, powerful antimicrobials which if their work proves successful will herald a new age in the fight against bacterium. Progress of the lab since 2013 has been steady with the foundations already laid of new technologies (computational and experimental) for the engineering of biomolecules. The key current focus is on the creation of automated algorithms that enable directed evolution in support of the difficult design phase of Synthetic Biology, by developing a general methodology for the de novo engineering of synthetic RNA parts and circuits it is hoped they will work robustly as targeted in a given cellular context.

The goal of the lab is to achieve proof of concept within the next 3 years. By working at the interface of molecular biology, combinatorial optimisation, microfluidics, directed evolution and 3D printing it is hoped that reaching this goal will accelerate more synthetic biology research globally thus enhancing our ability to combat diseases of the future.

This is where you come in, as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow we need your expertise to help build the lab’s research capability. You will form part of a high profile international team with labs in Warwick and ISSB in France. Your contribution to the lab’s body of knowledge in support of the goal of reaching proof of concept will have a direct impact on one of the most urgent health threats facing humanity.

More information >> [PDF] 

[Closes 22 Aug 2017] Research Associate position on open hardware for science (University of Bath)

From University of Bath:

Open source hardware could bring about a step change in science and medicine, by making high quality instruments more widely available and easier to customise. We are looking for a talented researcher with (or soon to be awarded) a PhD in Physics, Engineering, or a related discipline, to work as part of the "Open Lab Instrumentation" project that includes the Universities of Bath and Cambridge as well as our partners STICLab in Tanzania.

Salary: Starting from £32,004, rising to £38,183
Placed On: Monday 24 July 2017
Closing Date: Tuesday 22 August 2017
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Reference: SF5079

This project will enable high quality open-source instrumentation, by characterising and improving the mechanical properties of 3D printed mechanisms, then using these optimised structures, together with readily available electronic and optical components, as building blocks for microscopes, spectrometers, micromanipulators and more. Our first open instrument, the OpenFlexure Microscope, has already been reproduced by a number of groups, and tested in applications from malaria diagnostics to water quality monitoring.

You will build an understanding of how the small-scale structure of 3D printed parts (the "toolpath") affects their properties, then use this understanding to create improved toolpaths that result in stronger or more flexible parts.  This will involve both simulations and lab-based measurements, as well as adapting open-source software tools to generate the optimised toolpaths.  You will then go on to create designs for instrumentation using those optimisations, as well as contributing to software tools that allow others to do the same.  Good programming skills are essential, and experience in instrumentation design, mechanical simulation, and/or 3D printing is highly desirable.   As our goal is open-source hardware, we will contribute to various open source projects as well as starting new ones, and experience of open or collaborative development of either software or hardware would be particularly valuable.

You will be based within the Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials in the Department of Physics.  This post is funded by an EPSRC project that is part of the Global Challenges Research Fund, announced by the UK Government to support cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges faced by developing countries.  In keeping with the international remit of this funding, there will be opportunities to travel to meet our Tanzanian partners, and to work with the end-users of our new instruments. 

Physics at the University of Bath is a research-led Department, ranked highly in the UK in the latest Research Excellence Framework, and the University recently attained a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. Both the Department and the University are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive working environment, with an active Athena Swan programme and opportunities for researchers to receive training, mentorship, and career development.

Informal enquiries are encouraged, and should be directed to Dr. Richard Bowman (r.w.bowman@bath.ac.uk). 

More information >>

[Closes 31 Aug 2017] Call for Fellows at CRI Research

Information from the website of the Centre Recherches Interdisciplinaires (CRI): https://cri-paris.org 

The CRI collaboratory is recruiting fellows to join their adventure. They are inviting applications for three types of fellows: short (3-6 months), long (1-3 years) and core (5 years): https://cri-paris.org/research/call-for-fellows/

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The CRI is broadening its research activities, creating a collaboratory at the crossroads across the life, learning, and digital sciences.

We are developing an open, collaborative research program to tackle the world’s health and education challenges, focusing on the following broad topics, amenable to bridge foundational research and societal impact:

• Open health – from data-rich research to development of frugal software and hardware solutions.
• Open learning – from understanding learning to human-machine paradigms
• Open synthetic and systems biology – from foundational understanding of living systems to open biotech and open pharma solutions.
• Open transitions – from tracing past major transitions to understanding and shaping current digital transition.
• Open phronesis – tackling ethical challenges of our time.

The Collaboratory will host short (3-6 months), long (1-3 years) and core (5 years) research fellows alongside with their affiliated postdocs and PhD students. They will be accompanied by associate faculty members from France and abroad that will take part in the selection and mentoring the incoming fellows and students. Anyone capable of carrying an autonomous research project, from young graduates to established researchers (including sabbaticals) is eligible to apply to become a CRI Research Fellow.  We expect a gradual recruitment build-up to reach a 60-70 strong cohort within our dedicated building at the historical heart of Paris (the Marais) that will open its doors within a year. This 6500m2 building will include state-of-the-art wet lab space, makerspace, pedagogic facilities and studio apartments for young researchers.

[Closes 9 Aug 2017] DNA Foundry, Science and Technology Lead

Applications are invited for a DNA Foundry, Science and Technology Lead to join the Engineering Biology Group at the Earlham Institute. Using start-of-the-art laboratory automation and synthetic biology approaches, the Foundry has automated nanoscale pipelines for (i) part-based assembly and bacterial transformation, (ii) quality control of assemblies and (iii) delivery of constructs to chassis organisms. The mission of the Foundry is to bring these capabilities to bear on research in academia and industry. The post holder will establish and manage synthetic biology workflows at the Earlham DNA Foundry. This will include working with automation specialists and technical assistants to develop and execute protocols in DNA assembly, biosynthesis and genome engineering. In addition, they will engage and communicate with researchers in academia and industry to promote the mission of the Earlham Foundry and to establish and develop new collaborations. The ideal candidate will possess a PhD in Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology or a related subject. They will have an in depth understanding of molecular biology laboratory techniques and experience of collaborating with internal and external stakeholders on large scale projects. They must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. This position is open to applicant of all nationalities.

All applications must be made through the portal link: http://www.earlham.ac.uk/dna-foundry-science-and-technology-lead

Contact: nicola.patron@earlham.ac.uk

[Closes 14 July 2017] Postdoctoral Researcher - Single Cell Genomics

Job Vacancy: Postdoctoral Researcher to lead the development of next-gen sequencing tech to analyse single cells

The Macaulay Group at the Earlham Institute (formerly TGAC) is looking for an enthusiastic Postdoctoral Researcher to lead the development and implementation of next generation sequencing technologies to analyse single cells. This is an exciting opportunity to work on a BBSRC-funded project to explore transcriptional and epigenetic heterogeneity in individual haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

More details and application here

[Closes 6 Jul 2017] DST-NRF Fellowships for UK Early Career Researchers - Synthetic Biology Opportunities in South Africa

This Newton Fund opportunity allows early career UK researchers to spend 3-6 months working with a South African research group.

The SynBio SRI has a network of researchers in South Africa with whom we can connect interested researchers and an invitation from Dr Karl Rumbold at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for Fellows who might like to join lab and/or field-based projects including synthetic biology and biocatalysis.

Find out more about the call here >>

[Closes 21 June 2017] OpenPlant PDRA researching regulatory elements of cyanobacteria

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in Prof Christopher Howe's lab as part of the Cambridge OpenPlant Synthetic Biology Centre. OpenPlant is a joint initiative between the University of Cambridge, John Innes Centre, the Sainsbury Laboratory and the Earlham Institute, funded by BBSRC and EPSRC.

This position is aimed at identifying regulatory elements of cyanobacterial genes enabling control of gene expression in response to environmental electrical potential. Prof Howe's group has pioneered the development of 'biophotovoltaic' systems (McCormick et al. (2015) Energy & Environmental Science 8:1092) for the generation of electrical power from photosynthetic microorganisms. This post will analyse the transcriptional responses of cyanobacteria in biophotovoltaic devices.

Experience in the molecular biology of cyanobacteria, and in recombinant DNA techniques applied to microorganisms is essential. A PhD in a relevant subject is essential. Experience of electrochemistry is desirable, but not essential.

The appointee needs to be able to take up the post by 1 Sept 2017.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 24 months in the first instance.

For more information and to apply see the jobs.cam.ac.uk listing >>

Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions available at CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is advertising several postdoctoral research fellow positions for recent PhD graduates, including in areas relevant to synthetic biology.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is the federal government agency for scientific research in Australia. Its chief role is to improve the economic and social performance of industry, for the benefit of the community. CSIRO works with leading organisations around the world, and CSIRO Publishing issues journals with the latest research by leading scientists on a broad range of subjects.

The postdoctoral research fellow positions advertised are to undertake independent research under the mentoring of more senior scientists within the framework of a personal development program. Positions are available across the entire spectrum of CSIRO research activity and are aimed at recent PhD graduates with little or no postgraduate experience.

The positions listed have several deadlines. In addition, more positions are likely to be advertised on their site in future.

For more information on the positions available, please click here.

[Closes 23 Apr 2017] Research & Outreach Manager at Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre

The Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB) is looking for a Research & Outreach Manager. This post will suit a candidate with a background in research who wishes to develop a career in research programme management, learning and/or applying skills in financial oversight, grant proposal writing, research communication and outreach activities. The closing date for applications is 23rd April 2017.

Details can be found on http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AYP101/research-and-outreach-manager-75443-047/

[Closes 17 Apr 2017] Applications Scientist - Edinburgh Genome Foundry

[Closes 17-Apr-2017] Applications Scientist - Edinburgh Genome Foundry

We need a talented Application Scientist for the Edinburgh Genome Foundry (EGF), a facility for automated and high-throughput DNA assembly technologies based in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh.

Are you looking for a unique role working in one of today’s most exciting and rapidly developing areas of science? Are you keen to get involved with the rise of automation in the lab? Then this is the role for you.

As Application Scientist you will be the responsible biologist for translating and delivering customer orders for large-scale DNA assembly using our robotic platform.

Candidates must have a graduate degree in biology plus substantial experience in relevant work. Knowledge of synthetic biology and experience with automated equipment is essential. This is an exciting opportunity to play a fundamental role in the success of an exciting and technologically advanced UK facility.

Please note that the deadline for applications is being extended to late April.

Search for Job reference number: 039193 at https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk

For further information contact Dr Hille Tekotte h.tekotte@ed.ac.uk

[Closes 21 April 2017] OpenPlant Research Associate in Prof. Alison Smith's lab, Cambridge University

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in Prof. Alison Smith's lab as part of the Cambridge OpenPlant Synthetic Biology Centre. OpenPlant is a joint initiative between the University of Cambridge, John Innes Centre, TSL and the Earlham Institute, funded by BBSRC and EPSRC, which promotes interdisciplinary exchange, open technologies and responsible innovation for sustainable agriculture and conservation.

This position is aimed at generating novel regulatory elements based on riboswitches for plant and algal biotechnology. Riboswitches are sequences within the mRNA that respond to metabolites or other small molecules to alter production of the encoded protein, and offer flexible and tuneable elements to control transgene expression.

You will join the multidisciplinary team in central Cambridge at the Department of Plant Sciences, where the group focuses on a range of algal molecular biology and biotechnology projects. The principal tasks will be:

i) To identify riboswitches from diverse organisms that have already been characterised and shown to regulate transgene expression in their native hosts. These RNA sensors will be used in the generation of new expression platforms that allow metabolite-inducible expression of transgenes. To meet this objective the design, construction and testing of the different elements of these expression platforms will follow synthetic biology principled approaches.

ii) To test the responsiveness of the different riboswitches for the control of transgene expression in different photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms (including microalgae and plants).

Experience in recombinant DNA techniques is essential. Knowledge of systems or synthetic biology is highly desirable, as is familiarity with microbiology, metabolic engineering, and/or metabolism. The successful candidate should have the capacity to communicate effectively, work as part of a team, and take a lead role in the design and execution of the research programme as required. In addition, the PDRA will be expected to be involved in supporting junior scientists in the laboratory. You should hold a PhD in a relevant subject.

• Salary: £29,301-£38,183
• Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years, in the first instance.
• Closing date: 21 April 2017
• 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 upload your CV with publication list, and covering letter to support your application.
• Please quote reference PD11744 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The interviews are scheduled to be held in the week beginning 8 May 2017.

Please note if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

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 3 April 2017] Postdoctoral Researcher - Plant Synthetic Biology

Opportunity for an outstanding post-doctoral scientist to work on a collaborative project between the Patron Group at the Earlham Institute (EI) and the O'Connor group at The John Innes Centre (JIC). The project aims to improve plant production chassis for heterologous bioproduction of proteins (including vaccines) and metabolites and to contribute to our understanding of how the rich endogenous metabolism of plants detoxifies foreign molecules. The post-holder will have access to facilities at the Earlham DNA Foundry, interact with stakeholders at LeafSystems® and have the opportunity to work and collaborate with scientists in the Cambridge-Norwich OpenPlant Synthetic Biology Research Centre.

For details see: http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/606787-postdoctoral-researcher or http://www.earlham.ac.uk/postdoctoral-researcher-plant-synthetic-biology-0

[Closes 27 Mar 2017] CSIRO Synthetic Biology Fellowships

The CSIRO Future Science Platform in Synthetic Biology has released a call for national and international applicants for CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellowships. See below and https://research.csiro.au/synthetic-biology-fsp/ for more information:

Synthetic Biology Fellowships

Applications are now open for the CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellowships, an initiative of CSIRO's new Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform (SynBio FSP).

The scheme aims to attract outstanding national and international early-career post-doctoral researchers (equivalent to Academic Levels A and B, or in exceptional circumstances, Level C) to expand Australian research capacity in synthetic biology. A key element of the SynBio FSP is establishment of a collaborative community of practice extending across CSIRO and Australia more broadly, and linking into international efforts in the field. The SynBio FSP is built on a philosophy of responsible development of synthetic biology technology, striving for ethical outcomes and working within the bounds of social acceptance.

Fellowships will be hosted at a Host Organisation (usually an Australian University, but other Australian research organisations may also be eligible) and will be a partnership between the Fellow, CSIRO, and the Host Organisation. Fellows will be employed by the Host Organisation but will maintain a strong linkage to CSIRO through a partnering CSIRO Mentor(s) and various joint activities designed to support development of a synthetic biology community of practice across Australia

How to apply?

Further information and application instructions for the Fellowships are available at: https://research.csiro.au/synthetic-biology-fsp/

Applications must be submitted by 5pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, 27th March 2017.

Enquiries can be directed to: SynBioFSP@csiro.au

[Closes 7 Mar 2017] OpenPlant Research Associate (Haseloff Lab)

A position is open for a postdoctoral research associate based at the OpenPlant Laboratory in Cambridge, within the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and directed by Prof. Jim Haseloff.

The appointee will develop a research project based on the development of new synthetic biology tools for engineering traits in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha. Work with Marchantia allows streamlined approaches to genome modification, secondary metabolism and morphogenetic engineering. We are looking for a highly motivated post-doctoral scientist to work in this area.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate a strong background in plant molecular biology or synthetic biology, including a PhD in a relevant area. Experience with synthetic biology, plant molecular biology and advanced microscopy will be advantageous.

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 and the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich. The OpenPlant SBRC is focused on the development of open foundational technologies for plant synthetic biology and their application for engineering new traits in crop systems. OpenPlant will (i) fund interdisciplinary efforts in plant Synthetic Biology, to explore novel foundational technologies and applications, build shared resources and provide a point of exchange for young scientists and entrepreneurs; (ii) promote two-tier intellectual property models that will promote sharing of DNA components and freedom-to-operate for commercial applications of plant synthetic biology, and (iii) address responsible innovation, and explore the potential wider impacts of synthetic biology on sustainable practices in agriculture, bioproduction, land use and environmental conservation.

• Salary: £29,301-£38,183
• Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 2 September 2019 in the first instance.
• Closing date: 7 March 2017
• 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 upload your CV and covering letter, ensuring you list at least 2 referees.
• Please quote reference PD11358 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
• For further information contact Prof Jim Haseloff (jh295@cam.ac.uk)

Please note if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

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 4 Jan 2017] Readership in Synthetic Biology, University of Cambridge - Department of Engineering

Location: CambridgeSalary: £59,400 (Grade 11) Hours: Full Time Contract Type: Permanent Placed on: 2nd November 2016 Closes: 4th January 2017 Job Ref: NM09701

Applications are invited for a Readership in Synthetic Biology at the University of Cambridge. This is a tenure-track position at a level equivalent to Associate Professor and will be based in the Department of Engineering and is supported by the School of Biological Sciences (SBS). We particularly encourage applicants who complement current research within Engineering and SBS, and who are motivated to explore interdisciplinary collaborations. The successful candidate will have an established experimental research program in a topic including, but not limited to:

• Design and engineering of synthetic genetic circuits (both cellular and cell-free)
• Genome engineering
• Biosensing and biological signal processing
• Spatio-temporal gene regulation
• Engineering of multicellular interactions and tissue structure/function.

In addition, research may combine theoretical and numerical approaches with experiments. The successful candidate will have, or be expected to develop, a record of world-class research commensurate with the international reputation and top-rank research rating of the Department.

The candidate will be expected to contribute exciting and innovative teaching material to our rapidly growing bioengineering courses in the Engineering curriculum, with teaching and administration accounting for approximately 40% of the role. Teaching responsibilities will include contributing to undergraduate courses, supervising undergraduate projects, examining and supervising post-graduate students.

The position is based in the Engineering Department in Cambridge.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please visit:

www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/10986. This will take you to the role on the University’s Job Opportunities pages. There you will need to click on the 'Apply online' button and register an account with the University's Web Recruitment System (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.

In addition to this, please ensure that you upload the application documentation as follows:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A publications list
• Statement of professional, teaching and research experience and describe your future research plans (no more than two A4 pages)

If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 4 January 2017. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the HR Office (hr-office@eng.cam.ac.uk, +44 (0) 1223 332615).

Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Michael Sutcliffe (mpfs@eng.cam.ac.uk), +44 (0) 1223 332996.

Please quote reference NM09701 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

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 Nov 2016] OpenPlant PDRA to engineer circadian rhythms

As part of the OpenPlant Project (www.openplant.org) the Webb Lab in Department of Plant Science, University of Cambridge are looking to hire a postdoctoral researcher to engineer circadian rhythms in the model plant Marchantia.

OpenPlant is a joint initiative between the University of Cambridge, John Innes Centre, TSL and the Earlham Institute, funded by BBSRC and EPSRC. OpenPlant is a synthetic biology programme that promotes interdisciplinary exchange, open technologies and responsible innovation for sustainable agriculture and conservation.

We are seeking to hire a trained plant molecular biologist to contribute to the foundational tools and trait engineering programmes of OpenPlant. Synthetic parts will be developed for the measurement and manipulation of circadian rhythms in the model plant Marchantia. The PDRA will use and contribute new tools to the OpenPlant parts library to permit the measurement, perturbation and visualisation of circadian rhythms using luminescent and fluorescent probes with advanced image analysis algorithms. The developed parts will be used to understand and engineer entrainment, which is the pathway by which circadian clocks synchronise with the environment.

You should have a PhD is a relevant subject. Experience of molecular genetics, including RNA analysis, making transgenic lines and handling transgenic organisms is essential. Knowledge of circadian rhythms in Arabidopsis is desirable.

Contact Professor Alex Webb for further details aarw2@cam.ac.uk

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

More information and to apply >>