The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a national research centre, funded by the UK government through UK Research and Innovation, dedicated to bringing about transformative changes in life science through interdisciplinary research and technology.

Role overview

Current in-situ structural biology workflows for cryoET in tissue are laborious, requiring individuals to remain at the side of the microscope. This is due to these capabilities being in their infancy, with critical parameters being established and targeting in bulk materials requiring methods able to recognise and identify regions of interest. At the Franklin, we are establishing workflows capable of investigating multiple tissue samples per day and generating sections able to be thinned to electron transparency. You will develop this working closely with researchers at the Franklin enabling the examination of disease-relevant observations in-situ using multi-modal imaging to streamline the targeting of specific regions of interest, and optimising protocols for ion beam milling.

About You

Candidates must hold a post-graduate qualification/PhD (or equivalent experience) in computational sciences, mathematics, physics, material sciences, or another relevant subject. We are looking for candidates with a demonstrated ability to deliver project outputs (publications, datasets, patents etc) in a timely manner, the ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team, as well as strong organisational and communication skills. Experience with formulating research questions and devising strategies to address these questions is essential for this role.

The institute maintains several high-end transmission electron microscopes with emergent/new technologies, 2 florescence integrated plasma focused ion beam scanning electron microscopes, 2 (cryo) confocal microscopes and light sheet developments as well as other ancillary microscopes/equipment. The institute boasts plentiful computational resources, with access to GPU/CPU clusters and access to national high-performance compute (Baskerville HPC, Birmingham).

Responsibilities

You will:

• Develop new automation programs for cryo lift-out and multimodal targeting (serial FIB/SEM and fluorescence microscopy)
• Be a focal point of advice and supervision for junior researchers in in-situ structural methods.

In return we offer:

• 25 days holidays plus bank holidays and Christmas holiday shutdown
• Generous pension scheme (employer’s contribution currently up to 18%)
• Group Life Assurance (also known as Group Life Insurance or Death in Service)
• Hub building with state-of-the-art laboratories
• Training and development opportunities for staff at all levels
• Bus pass discount scheme and good transport links to Oxford and surrounding areas
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Access to employee discount platform (Perkbox)
• Occupational Health and wellbeing support including Employee Assistance (24/7 support and counselling)
• Health Cash Plan
• Subsidised canteen and food outlets on campus
• Free on-site parking
• Campus location in beautiful countryside with social and sports clubs open to staff

Before submitting your application please ensure you read the Job Information Pack for full details of this role on our website.

About us: The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a new national Research Centre, funded by the UK government through UK Research and Innovation, dedicated to bringing about transformative changes in life science through interdisciplinary research and technology.

Location: The Franklin is based in Harwell Campus, UK’s innovation hub and well-established as one of the leading science and innovation campuses in Europe.

The Franklin’s underlying aim is to produce the best science for research today, and this means resolutely embracing a diverse team, who have a wide range of experiences, skills and knowledge to push forward on the innovative work our institution delivers. Both our work and our institution are better for it. For further information, view our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

At the Rosalind Franklin Institute we welcome applications from all around the world!

To be considered for this role, please send a CV and cover letter through explaining why you think you are the right person for this job. Please including information about your education and work experience.

Closing date: Please be aware that applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled; therefore, we reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier if required.

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