Research Technician

Salary: £25,742 to £26,444 with progression to £27,979 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: 17 April 2024
The Role
You will be responsible for differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to retinal organoids, enrichment of photoreceptors for subretinal transplantation by flow cytometry, organizing animal breeding and assisting the postdoctoral research assistants with immunofluorescence and FISH analyses of transplanted eyes. You will work as part of a team comprised of two postdoctoral research associates on this MRC funded project focusing on the assessment of engraftment of hESC-derived photoreceptors and their ability to restore vision in early and advanced stages of Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a common form of hereditary photoreceptor dystrophy associated with progressive rod degeneration of the mid-peripheral retina, leading to night blindness and loss of visual acuity. At later stages of the disease, cones degenerate as well, resulting in complete blindness at final disease stages. The supporting retinal pigment epithelium cell layer (RPE), which is essential for normal retina function is also altered at the end stages of disease due to photoreceptor death. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop novel approaches either for photoreceptor replacement alone or in combination with RPE cells or for reactivation of dysfunctional surviving photoreceptor by gene therapy (if performed at early stages of the disease).
In our group, we develop artificial retinas (organoids) and RPE cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). We isolate photoreceptors from these organoids and inject them in retinas with photoreceptor dystrophies, with the goal to achieve integration of these healthy photoreceptors into the host retina, eventually restoring visual function. We have successfully achieved these goals using a cone-enriched population of photoreceptor precursors in a mouse model of RP, resulting in partial restoration of visual function assessed by behavioural and electrophysiological testing. However, given the prevalence of rod degeneration in RP, our hypothesis for this project is that transplantation of hPSCs-derived rods at early stages may lead to improved rod integration and function, while also protecting cones from degenerating at later stages. On the other hand, we suggest that a combination of rod, cone and RPE transplantation may achieve optimal results at more advanced stages of retinal degeneration.
You will work under the direction of all three investigators on a full time, fixed term basis from 1 June 2024 for 18 months.
Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require medical clearance before you can commence in the role.
For informal enquiries contact: Professor Majlinda Lako
Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/
Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/
Key Accountabilities
Culture of pluripotent stem cells
Differentiate pluripotent stem cells to retinal organoids
Photoreceptor enrichment by flow cytometry activated cell sorting
Immunofluorescence and FISH analyses of explanted retinas
Complete a range of routine and complex maintenance activities and repairs
Liaise with suppliers and manufacturers to resolve both routine and complex problems and investigate replacement options
Advise on equipment capabilities demonstrating how results can be achieved
Design and delivery of bespoke equipment and apparatus
By developing local procedures, establish and maintain a safe/compliant working environment
Hold specific safety responsibilities relevant to the specialism
Assist with the completion and updating of a wide range of safety paperwork
Oversee compliance tasks ensuring timely completion and maintenance of appropriate records
Maintain in-depth and up-to-date health and safety knowledge relevant to the specialism
Schedule, prioritize and monitor work in line with demands and deadlines
Organize and facilitate progress meetings
Source and negotiate with suppliers for a range of items including specialist parts/equipment
Create, update and implement procedures to deliver an aligned, efficient and effective service
Prepare and manufacture specimens/samples requiring specialist skills with limited direction
Manage equipment bookings, calculate charges/costs and assist with re-charging
Contribute to building work affecting the area occupied by the specialism
Design, develop and deliver inductions, demonstrations and training covering complex techniques and specialist equipment
Assist managers with the identification of training and development needs
Maintain specialist knowledge and skills, sharing with others
Mentor junior staff
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Ability to generate, culture and characterise pluripotent stem cells
Ability to differentiate pluripotent stem cells to retinal lineages
Demonstrable work experience in a relevant technical / workshop role
Thorough working knowledge of Health and Safety procedures
Excellent team working skills
Demonstrates technical and problem-solving capacity
Desirable
Demonstrates good organising ability to meet deadlines, with a positive and proactive approach to duties and diligence and attention to detail
Contribute to design and specification of research/teaching activities
Ability to adapt to changes in laboratory research priorities
Specific lab or workshop and specific to role
Attributes and Behaviour
Tact, diplomacy and able to handle difficult situations
Ability to meet deadlines with effective time and resource management
Clear communicator and active listener
Consistent and appropriate approach to staff and situations
Use of feedback for process improvement and staff development
Team player, self starter and able to manage complex workload
Ability to respond enthusiastically and positively to undergraduate students
Qualifications
BSc and/or MSc in cell biology or neurosciences; demonstrating development through progressively more demanding relevant roles
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. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 26913