University of Cambridge
Research Laboratory Technician (Fixed Term)
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An exciting opportunity is available for 2 Research Laboratory Technicians to join the group of Prof. Jake Harris at the Department of Plant Sciences
The laboratory is situated on the Downing Site in Cambridge and houses state-of-the-art facilities.
The Project
The project is part of a pioneering new effort to generate fully synthetic plant chromosomes, funded by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA, please see here for more details). The postholder will support and perform various routine and higher-level molecular biology techniques in the lab, including:
- Cloning (PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA purification, restriction reactions, ligation reactions, Gibson assembly, bacterial transformation and culture, plasmid purification, and Sanger sequencing)
- Genotyping (collecting material, genomic DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis)
- Genetic transformations
- General plant husbandry and maintenance
The primary model organism is the 'green yeast', Physcomitrium patens, which holds many unique advantages for synthetic biology approaches. Plant cell suspension and culture. There is also scope for development in computational aspects and organisational pipelines. The project is part of an integrated team effort involving academic and biotech laboratories across the UK and Australia.
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Successful Candidates
Successful candidates are not expected to be familiar with all these techniques; however, experience working with Physcomitrium patens or other non-vascular plants is highly beneficial. Experience working with plant cell culture and suspension is also a major benefit. A willingness to learn and some prior laboratory experience is essential. The postholders will work closely alongside postdoctoral researchers and technicians on the project and within a wider laboratory team setting, so evidence of successful teamwork to achieve well-defined project goals is critically important. Successful candidates will have a degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject, strong organisational and time-management skills, a positive attitude, and good team spirit.
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Fixed-term
The funds for this post are fixed term for 1.5 years in the first instance.
Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.
Application
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Please notice that 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 not been successful.
Please quote reference PD45704 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
The University actively supports equality, diversity, and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
Eligibility
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
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