Requisition ID: 25965
Location:
Newcastle, GB
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Working Pattern: Full Time
Posted Date: 8 Aug 2023
Salary:
Research Assistant: £31,396 to £32,982 per annum
Research Assocaite: £33,966 to £34,980 per annum
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 05 September 2023
The Role
Do you have expertise in synthetic chemistry with an interest in applying it to answer fundamental biological questions?
The McAllister group work in the area of chemical glycobiology; using chemical approaches to understand the biological details of protein glycosylation events (i.e. the addition of carbohydrates to proteins). We are situated in the recently refurbished state-of-the-art chemical biology laboratories in the Bedson building, part of the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University.
The main responsibilities of the role are to develop novel approaches to produce well defined glycopeptides and glycoproteins. This will be through chemical synthesis of glycosylated amino acid building blocks that can be used to acylate tRNA for in vitro translation experiments or in solid-phase peptide synthesis. The glycopeptides/proteins will be used to investigate fundamental questions regarding the impact of glycosylation in biology.
You will be part of a team of ~15 researchers in the chemical biology labs comprising a mixture of synthetic and peptide chemists and molecular/cell biologists. You will be able to work independently, have exceptional time management skills and also work as part of a team (including with internal and external collaborators) and provide support with PhD student supervision.
This is a full-time position for 2 years initially available from 1st September 2023 with a starting salary of £33,966-£34,980 depending on experience and qualifications with the potential to extend (funding dependant).
Please provide evidence of how you meet the essential criteria required for the role outlined in ‘The Person’ by uploading a letter of application along with your Curriculum Vitae (CV).
For informal enquiries please contact Tom McAllister (tom.mcallister@ncl.ac.uk).
Key Accountabilities
• Synthesis of glycosylated amino acid derivatives, suitable for use in solid-phase peptide synthesis and tRNA acylation
• Use of these to develop biochemical methods for glycopeptide and glyoprotein synthesis as a stepping to investigate biological questions
• Contribute to the smooth running of the group, acting as a source of advice and information. Provide supervision for other group members, assisting them in planning their research and giving specialised training as required
• Ensure intellectual rigour and adherence to robust ethical standards to maintain integrity of research.
• At the discretion of the Principal Investigator (consistent with the funding agreement) you may contribute to the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate research students
The Person (Essential)
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Expertise in synthetic organic chemistry (desirable: previous experience in carbohydrate chemistry)
• Desirable: Experience in peptide / protein chemistry, molecular biology and/or biophysical techniques
• Be able to demonstrate a high level of expertise and success in the previous research areas, e.g. by an excellent publication (or papers in press or equivalent) track record in high quality peer reviewed journals. Evidence will be sought of a deep understanding of the applicant’s previous fields of research and evidence of independent intellectual and practical contributions to previous research projects, as indicators that such attributes can be brought to bear on present projects and the development of future projects.
• Have an excellent general knowledge of related areas through reading of the literature, online database searching, and attendance at seminars and conferences.
• Have excellent communication skills in English in writing and in oral and visual presentations.
• Ensure research and record keeping is carried out in accordance with good practice, Scientific Integrity and in compliance with local policies and any legal requirements.
• Show an ability to undertake research with a high degree of independence, manage your own research and report on progress at regular intervals.
Attributes and Behaviour
• Be willing to learn new techniques and apply them in an interdisciplinary research environment in an autonomous manner
• Be viewed as a motivated, enthusiastic, organised self-starter; one who can work with a high degree of independence and work well with others but at the same time extract the benefits of an excellent research environment.
• Assume an active role in keeping the laboratory running by taking a share of group responsibilities, cultivating a supportive and positive working environment and directly educating more junior co-workers working on related projects.
• Be able to work as part of a team and interact extensively with other researchers, and take part in joint projects through co-operation and the exchange of information and skills.
• Ability to obtain information from literature and from colleagues and integrate this into developing and optimizing work procedures. Be a source of information on scientific protocols and experimental techniques.
• Participate in group journal meetings and workshops as a means to continuously improve technical and theoretical knowledge.
Qualifications
• Hold a PhD in Chemistry / Chemical Biology or a related area (or have submitted a PhD thesis prior to taking up the appointment)
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 25965