Job Title: epartment/ivision/faculty: Campus location: Job Family/Level: Responsible to: Key Working Relationships (internal): Postdoctoral Research Associate epartment of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering South Kensington Academic and Research, Level B r Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro r Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, his group members and members of the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology (IC-CSynB). Key Working Relationships r Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, his group members and members of the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology (IC-CSynB). The (external): project will be developed in close collaboration with r Guy-Bart Stan and r Tom Ellis. The project includes collaborations with other academics (r Harris Wang at Columbia University, USA) and biotech industries (Evolva and Fgen). Contract type: Full-time, fixed-term 36 months, until 19 August 2021 Purpose of the Post The purpose of the post is to design, build and test different novel synthetic biology strategies to create synthetic microbial communities. The end goal is to develop an engineering framework aimed at pushing forward the robustness frontier in synthetic biology towards reliable cell-based biotechnology with applications of commercial interest in bio-production. In particular, the work will consist in (1) the development of new synthetic biology tools to develop robust and reliable synthetic microbial communities, (2) the study of the communities for their ability to generate emergent behaviours at population level and (3) the further engineering of the communities to perform industrial applications. (4) The candidate can participate in the development, in collaboration with other members of the Stan Group, of a model-based engineering framework. (5) In addition, the candidate will collaborate with members of the Centre for Synthetic Biology (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/synthetic-biology/centre/) and researchers and companies around the world to write research papers on the topic of synthetic microbial communities for bioproduction. Appointment will be made at the Research Associate position level with pay scale set as appropriate. Selection will be based on the motivation and experience/expertise of the candidate. As part of this project, the successful candidate will: 1. Work in an exciting and timely project using state of the art techniques and methodologies in a collaborative working environment. 2. evelop and broaden your knowledge and expertise in a truly multidisciplinary project, which employs methods and principles from microbial molecular biology (CRISPR, Golden Gate, etc.) to control engineering and modelling. 3. Be a member of young, dynamic and ambitious growing research group within the Centre for Synthetic Biology at Imperial College London, one of the top institutions in synthetic biology. 4. evelop your networking and collaboration channels and skills with both academic and industrial partners in order to identify key bottlenecks in industrial bio-production and implement solutions. 5. Work closely with r Tom Ellis (http://www.tomellislab.com/) and r Guy-Bart Stan (http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/g.stan/group/research.shtml) as well as the companies Evolva and Fgen. 6. Undertake project management and be involved in the supervision of Ph and Master students. 7. Benefit from training and support from the Postdoc and Fellows evelopment Centre and its multiaward winning career development programmes. 8. In addition, the Research Associate will attend and present work at appropriate conferences and will write research and review articles.
Key Responsibilities Research uties: Work in close cooperation with r Ledesma-Amaro (supervisor) and other research staff, students and collaborators on the project Contribute to the development of techniques and methods, that fulfil the requirements of the grant objectives Take initiatives in the planning of research Acquire and interpret research data and results Prioritise tasks within agreed work schedule Organise own time so that different aspects of the project can proceed in parallel Work in close cooperation with the other project investigators, project partners, technical staff, and Ph students working on the project Ensure the validity and reliability of data at all times Maintain accurate and complete records of all findings Assist in the writing of regular internal reports as necessary Regularly present material at internal and external meetings as requested Prepare publications for submission to refereed to top journals Assist in the preparation of bids for research grants Assist in the preparation of patent applications Help supervise undergraduate lab activities where appropriate Advise and assist other staff and students within the area of expertise Undertake instruction of MRes and Ph students as appropriate Attend progress and management meetings, regular laboratory meetings, journals clubs and internal and external seminars, as required Other uties: Undertake any necessary training and/or development programme Undertake appropriate administration tasks Attend relevant meetings Any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as directed by line managers / supervisors To observe and comply with all College policies and regulations, including the key policies and procedures on Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest, Business Continuity, ata Protection, Equal Opportunities, Ethics related, External Interests, Financial Regulations, Health and Safety, Imperial Expectations (for new leaders, managers and supervisors), Information Technology, and Smoking. To undertake specific safety responsibilities relevant to individual roles, as set out on the College Health and Safety Structure and Responsibilities web page: www.imperial.ac.uk/safety/policies/organisationandarrangements. To undertake Business Continuity responsibilities relevant to individual roles Job descriptions cannot be exhaustive and the post-holder may be required to undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities. Imperial College London is committed to equality of opportunity and to eliminating discrimination. All employees are expected to adhere to the principals set out in its Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy, Promoting Race Equality Policy and isability Policy and all other relevant guidance/practice frameworks
Person Specification Requirements Candidates will be expected to demonstrate the following Essential (E)/ esirable () Education Ph (or equivalent) in Synthetic Biology or a closely related area/discipline or equivalent E research (e.g. microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology), with a focus on design of synthetic biology/metabolic engineering approaches, and experimental implementation, analysis and measurement of genetic systems and engineered strains. Experience Proven track record of research in experimental Synthetic Biology or closely related E area (e.g. metabolic engineering, microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology) Experience in analysing biological experimental data E Experience in delivering research project results as exemplified by a track record of peer-reviewed publications in a relevant area E Capable of working collaboratively with researchers from different disciplines or E technical background Capable of working independently, exercising a high degree of initiative and E demonstrating a pro-active and flexible approach to work Ability to work under pressure and meet agreed milestones E Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships E Good time-keeping and time-management, with associated effective prioritisation of E tasks Good communication skills; oral, writing and presentation of data E Ability to contribute ideas and initiate new ways of working E Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team A successful track record of academic publications in top international journals Previous experience in microbial strain engineering Previous experience in genetic engineering yeast and/or bacteria (e.g. S. cerevisiae and E. coli) Previous experience with NA assembly techniques such as Gibson or Golden Gate Ability to be adaptive and accepting of new ideas and a willingness to approach new challenges and adjust plans to meet new priorities Knowledge Knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles of biochemical and E molecular biological systems Knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering Knowledge on data and statistical analysis Knowledge of metabolic/biological modelling Experience with scientific programming languages such as Matlab or Python and/or modelling of dynamic biosystems can be an added value Skills & Abilities Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature E Ability to develop and apply new concepts E emonstrated ability to conduct independent research and to work as part of a E team Creative approach to problem-solving E
Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to deal with and to E communicate with scientists and researchers from a variety of disciplines Excellent written communication skills in scientific English and the ability to write E clearly and succinctly at a level suitable for international conferences and peer reviewed journal publications Ability to organise own work and in response to deadlines E Ability to communicate complex information clearly E Self-motivation and ability to exercise initiative and judgment in carrying out E research tasks Ability to contribute to a complex research programme Ability to direct the work of a small research team and motivate others to produce a high standard of work Ability to assess resource requirements, in particular wet lab consumables and equipment requirements, and deploy them effectively Ability to encourage and develop research culture in others Scientific computing skills for data analyses as well as basic word-processing and spreadsheet proficiency Please note that job descriptions cannot be exhaustive and the post-holder may be required to undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities. Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity and to eliminating discrimination. All employees are expected to follow the 7 Imperial Expectations detailed below: 1) Champion a positive approach to change and opportunity 2) Encourage inclusive participation and eliminate discrimination 3) Communicate regularly and effectively within and across teams 4) Consider the thoughts and expectations of others 5) eliver positive outcomes 6) evelop and grow skills and expertise 7) Work in a planned and managed way Employees are also required to comply with all College policies and regulations paying special attention to: Confidentiality Financial Regulations Private Engagements Conflict of Interest Health and Safety and Register of Interests ata Protection Information Technology Equal Opportunities Smoking They must also undertake specific training and assume responsibility for safety relevant to specific roles, as set out on the College Website Health and Safety Structure and Responsibilities page. The College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco eclaration on Research Assessment (ORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions, we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. For more information, see https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/researchevaluation/ The College believes that the use of animals in research is vital to improve human and animal health and welfare. Animals may only be used in research programmes where their use is shown to be necessary for developing new treatments and making medical advances. Imperial is committed to ensuring that, in cases where this research is deemed essential, all
animals in the College s care are treated with full respect, and that all staff involved with this work show due consideration at every level. http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/researchintegrity/animal-research/ Committed to equality and valuing diversity, we are an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall iversity Champion, a isability Confident Employer and work in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people.