Postdoctoral Fellow-Microbial metabolism in early-life human microbiota

We are seeking a motivated microbiologist to work at the Wellcome Sanger Institute under the leadership of Dr Trevor Lawley (www.lawleylab.com) to generate and analyse metabolomic and genomic datasets from bacterial strains and consortia that are beneficial to infant growth, development and disease resistance.

This position would be ideal for someone who recently completed their PhD or first postdoctoral role and has a strong background in bacterial metabolism and/or metabolomics. This is an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate to join a dynamic team investigating the role of the microbiota in childhood development and disease resistance using clinical samples, genomics, anaerobic microbiology and host-interaction models. There is an entrepreneurial spirit to the lab and a strong translational focus with the goal of developing novel, microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics.

You will have experience in metabolomics of anaerobic bacteria including experimental design and analysis. The goal is to understand the health-promoting metabolic capabilities of symbiotic bacteriaabundant in children and to link this to genomic features and phenotypes using genome-scale metabolic modelling and other approaches. You will be part of a multidisciplinary, collaborative team that incorporates microbiology and bioinformatics approaches and will be expected to work closely with existing team members and collaborators to accomplish scientific objectives and proactively identify, establish and develop new collaborations and drive publications.

Essential Skills

Technical skills:

• PhD with strong background in bacterial metabolism and/or metabolomics, ideally human microbiota research 
• Experience of bacterial metabolomics experiment design, data generation and data analysis 
• Demonstrated track record of designing, executing and interpreting microbiology analyses and delivering complex scientific projects through to publication 

Competencies and Behaviours:

• Excellent organisational and problem solving skills
• Team player with ability to effectively prioritise, multi-task and work independently 
• Ability to review, synthesise, and present scientific data and methods 
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills demonstrated through publications and conference presentations 
• Enthusiasm, commitment and attention to detail 
• Demonstrates inclusivity and respect for all 

Other information

We have adopted a flexible hybrid model to enable a balance of remote and office working, and in addition we welcome applications for full time or flexible working.

You can also find out more about our inspiring campus here .

Application Process:

Please apply with your CV and a Cover letter outlining how you meet the criteria set out above and in the job description.