Postdoctoral Research Associate position in binder display platform development

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral research associate to help create a new Protein Screening Facility based in the School of Biological Sciences at University of Cambridge. The facility will develop novel biologic binders to benefit a huge range of users within Cambridge. This is an exciting opportunity to develop a lead role in progressing binder technologies and be part of a collaborative network to make this facility a long-term, UK technology hub that supports follow-on structural biology, pharmacology and therapeutic biologics projects. The post-holder will lead the establishment of novel protein binder platforms (e.g. phage/ribosome display) for CamPSF, with encouragement to benchmark and publish outputs. Areas of further advancement could include performing machine learning of binder sequencing data, running prediction software of binder-target interactions, and strategizing new technology implementation and the design of novel experimental binder platforms. Potential guidance and mentorship support is available from all labs involved within this highly interdisciplinary project. See document link at end for more information on these groups.

The successful applicant will have completed a PhD (or soon to be awarded one) and will have evidence of experience in binder display technologies, with experience in molecular biology/cloning, biophysics, protein engineering, and protein expression and purification being an advantage.

The funds for this post are available from 1^st Dec 2024 with flexibility in the precise start date and continue for 36 months.

Successful candidates who have not been awarded their PhD by the appointment date will be appointed as a Research Assistant at Grade 5 (£29,605-£33,966). Upon the award of the PhD the individual will be promoted to Research Associate, Grade 7 (£36,024-£44,263).

The University of Cambridge is a signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and in the recruitment process will assess research on the basis of its merits rather than the journal or venue in which it is published. Applicants should not include Journal Impact Factors or uncontextualized metrics in their applications. For more information: https://www.biology.cam.ac.uk/files/dora.pdf Appointment will be based on merit alone.

Online or in-person interviews are anticipated to take place in Nov/Dec 2024.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

The online application requires you to include your personal details, names and addresses of referees, as well as your CV, research publications list and cover letter to describe you interests and ambitions.

Informal enquiries about the position can be made to Dr Paul Miller (pm676@cam.ac.uk). For enquiries about the online application process please contact the HR Team, hr@phar.cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference PL40636 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The Departments of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, who are hosting the CamPSF, are part of the School of Biological Sciences, which holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award, demonstrating a commitment to provide equal opportunities and to advance the representation of women in science subjects. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, but we particularly encourage women and individuals from under-represented groups to apply.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop a lead role in progressing binder technologies and be part of a collaborative network to make this facility a long-term, UK technology hub that supports follow-on structural biology, pharmacology and therapeutic biologics projects. The post-holder will lead the establishment of novel protein binder platforms (e.g. phage/ribosome display) for CamPSF, with encouragement to benchmark and publish outputs. Areas of further advancement could include performing machine learning of binder sequencing data, running prediction software of binder-target interactions, and strategizing new technology implementation and the design of novel experimental binder platforms.

The successful applicant will have completed a PhD (or soon to be awarded one) and will have evidence of experience in binder display technologies (e.g. phage display and/or ribosome display and/or yeast display), with experience in molecular biology/cloning, biophysics, protein engineering, and protein expression and purification being an advantage.

The funds for this post are available from Jan 2025 with flexibility in the precise start date and continue for 36 months.

Successful candidates who have not been awarded their PhD by the appointment date will be appointed as a Research Assistant at Grade 5 (£29,605-£33,966). Upon the award of the PhD the individual will be promoted to Research Associate, Grade 7 (£36,024-£44,263). 

Contributing to a team that is working towards successfully establishing binder platforms and identifying/characterising binders against valuable biological targets in order to create a new protein binder facility (See above).