Research Assistant/Associate (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for a Research Assistant/Associate position to work in the groups of Dr Felipe Karam Teixeira and Professor Richard Durbin at the Department of Genetics in central Cambridge.
The successful candidate will work on a Wellcome Trust-funded project that brings together the Karam Teixeira and Durbin groups to focus on dissecting how transposable elements shape the evolution of eukaryotic genomes. Dr Karam Teixeira's group uses Drosophila as a model to study transposable element biology, epigenetic regulation and inheritance, small RNA-based defence mechanisms, and germline biology in animals, while Prof Durbin's works on computational genomics and large scale genome science, including the development of new algorithms and statistical methods to study genome evolution. Moving forward, the labs are jointly building an interdisciplinary research team, which will combine large-scale experimental evolution studies and innovative computational methods, with the goal to uncover the breadth of transposon-derived variation and its role in functional genetic variation and genome evolution in animals.
A PhD in a biological science or computational science is essential for this role. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, updated to Postdoctoral Research Associate level once their PhD has been awarded. The salary range for Research Assistants is £32,546 - £35,116 and for Research Associates this is £37,174 - £45,413 per annum.
Suitable candidates should have previous experience of genetic analysis of large scale genome sequence data and transposable element biology. They should be able to develop and apply at scale bioinformatic tools that identify and classify transposable elements, and the variation they create. Solid experience in programming with Bash and Python is also required and previous experience of vertebrate and invertebrate genomes would be beneficial.
The ideal candidate will be an independent researcher capable of managing a variety of raw and processed genomic data (including DNA-seq, RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, Hi-C, as well as long-read sequencing - RNA and DNA - data), and work productively with wet and dry researchers in an interdisciplinary research environment.
Further information about Dr Felipe Karam Teixeira's research group can be found here https://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/research-groups/research-groups/karam-teixeira
Further information about Professor Richard Durbin's research group can be found here https://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/research-groups/research-groups/durbin
Fixed Term: The funding for this position is available for 3 years in the first instance.
Research Associate in Developmental Systems Biology (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in the group of Dr Erik Clark at the Department of Genetics in central Cambridge. We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic individual to join a small interdisciplinary team investigating the robust anteroposterior patterning of the early Drosophila embryo. The role will involve collecting quantitative imaging data to inform gene regulatory network models, then computationally simulating these models to explore their dynamics.
The position will involve a combination of wet-lab experiments and mathematical modelling. It would best suit an individual with an interdisciplinary background in developmental and computational biology, or a theorist who has picked up some wet-lab skills. A friendly, collaborative attitude, an ability to both teach and learn from others, and good organisational and communication skills are essential.
Experimental techniques will include Drosophila genetics, fixed embryo staining (multiplexed HCR and immunofluorescence), high-end confocal microscopy, and computational image analysis, with the potential to extend these methods to other dipteran species. Training in these techniques is available within the lab, although an existing familiarity with wet-lab developmental biology is highly desirable.
The computational modelling work will be independently driven by the candidate, with input from the PI and an external theory collaborator. Previous experience with modelling biological systems and scientific programming is essential. A background in dynamical systems is desirable.
The context of the project is the evolution of anteroposterior patterning networks across insects. Strong interests in gene regulatory networks, patterning mechanisms, insects, and evo-devo are essential.
The role will also include contributing generally to the research group by regularly presenting and discussing research, helping to train and supervise students, and working towards scientific publications.
Suitable applicants should hold a PhD in a relevant scientific discipline and display a good working knowledge of relevant techniques and an enthusiasm for the subject area. The position is fixed term for a period of 3 years in the first instance and is available from 1st October 2025.
Laboratory Technician
The Department of Genetics Fly Facility is looking to recruit an enthusiastic and highly organised Laboratory Technician to run its Drosophila (fruit fly) food service. The service provides food to most of the Drosophila research groups in Cambridge, as well as to the Fly Facility's stock-keeping service. The Laboratory Technician role is vital, as the university's world-class Drosophila research ultimately relies upon the availability of fresh, high-quality fly food.
Central to the role is ensuring that research groups receive their fly food orders in a timely fashion, and that the food is of a consistently high quality. To achieve this, the technician must make daily decisions about the quantity and type of food to cook and oversee the distribution of prepared food to the groups. They need to monitor food quality and to communicate with service users about food production.
The technician is responsible for supervising other Fly Facility staff who assist with fly food production and with the organisation and maintenance of the fly kitchen. They are required to keep these staff aware of food preparation schedules, changes in lab procedures, and safety compliance.
Since there is a constant demand for fly food, it is important that the facility does not run short of ingredients and other supplies. The technician is responsible for monitoring supply levels, predicting future requirements and overseeing the reordering process.
The technician also contributes to the Fly Facility's stock keeping service. The service maintains living fly stock collections for research groups in Cambridge and beyond. This is a significant responsibility as many of the fly stocks are difficult to replace or even unique. The technician is part of a Fly Facility team that is collectively responsible for delivering the facility's services and provides a supportive working environment.
Please note, a valid driving license is desirable for this role to assist with the delivery of fly stocks to local laboratories using a delivery van.
Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.
PhD Studentship - MRC Integrative Toxicology Training Partnership (ITTP)
Project Title: Characterising clonal dynamics of somatic mutations in vivo for early prediction of carcinogenicity using advanced error corrected next generation sequencing
Supervisor: Dr Alex Cagan
Department: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge
Industrial Partner: GSK
Somatic mutations drive cancer and may underlie many chronic diseases - yet current safety testing struggles to detect the earliest signals of carcinogenic risk. This PhD project aims to transform how we evaluate the potential for new drugs and chemicals to cause cancer, by tracking somatic mutations and clonal expansions in rodent tissues using cutting-edge, ultra-accurate error-corrected sequencing (ecNGS).
Working at the interface of evolutionary genomics and toxicology, the student will generate high-resolution maps of mutation burden and cancer driver mutation (CDM) dynamics in response to carcinogenic exposure. By integrating new computational and experimental approaches (e.g. Laser capture microdissection and ecNGS), and accessing samples and expertise through GSK's Investigative Toxicology group, the student will help develop a novel framework for early carcinogenicity prediction. This project offers the rare opportunity to translate high-resolution molecular data into practical tools for non-clinical drug safety and regulatory science. This has the potential to revolutionise our ability to detect and understand the carcinogenic impact of chemical compounds.
Based in the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge and co-supervised by GSK, the student will receive hands-on training in ecNGS library prep, experimental toxicology, and bioinformatics. The student will also gain experience in working with industry partners, contributing to translational research in regulatory genomics and drug development.
The MRC Integrative Toxicology Training Partnership (ITTP) is a national PhD training programme for capacity building in Toxicology and related disciplines.
The safe development of new drugs, materials, chemicals and consumer products along with the assessment of risk from environmental exposure requires the integration of cutting-edge science with traditional toxicology. The ITTP provides a training platform to enable this and aims to bring together academia, industry and government agencies to provide the required expertise.
ITTP students attend a once yearly residential toxicology training course, have access to the MRC Toxicology Unit's Masterclass seminar series and attend toxicology and laboratory training in their host institutions.
We are looking for a motivated student with a strong background in genomics, molecular biology, or bioinformatics. This interdisciplinary project would suit someone interested in cancer biology, somatic evolution, toxicology, or the development of predictive models of disease. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical and collaborative skills, with the ability to work independently in a supportive research environment.
Research Associate - Pathogen Dynamics Unit (Fixed Term)
The Pathogen Dynamics Unit, located within the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge is looking for one full-time postdoctoral Research Associate to work on projects relating to how we can use pathogen genomes and the structure of UK society to understand the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.
The Pathogen Dynamics Unit at the University of Cambridge consists of 15-20 researchers at different stages of their career using mathematical and computational research to help our understanding of how pathogens spread in populations, assess control efforts and support policy making. We work closely with an established network of collaborators across laboratories, field-based epidemiologists, hospitals and public health agencies.
The position will be based in Cambridge and will be supervised by Professor Henrik Salje in a collaborative project with researchers at the University of Lancaster and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The project will consist of the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes and contact tracing data collected as part of the COVID-19 response. The project will use phylogenetic and mathematical modelling approaches to understand the structure of UK society, and the implications of how we interact with each other leads to infectious disease spread. The finding from this work will help guide future pandemic preparedness.
The applicant will have strong quantitative skills, including applied to pathogen genomic data. The project will require the development of computationally intensive models and therefore applicants should have experience in coding and a good understanding of probability, likelihoods and Bayesian analysis. We are also seeking individuals with a strong interest in public health.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop models that integrate different data types (e.g., serology, epidemiological data, genomic data, demography) to understand the dynamics of pathogens
- Write-up findings in manuscripts
- Work with study partners
- Present findings at conferences, external and internal meetings
- Be an active member of the Pathogen Dynamics Unit, including contributing to wider group discussions
- Supervision of students/Interns working in support of the research group
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 12 months in the first instance.