Applications are open for the full-time job of research associate at Imperial College London for the non-clinical research at the department of National Heart & Lung Institute. The National Heart and Lung Institute are seeking an ambitious post-doctoral researcher with highly developed interpersonal skills and a team-based working ethos to join our group. You will work as part of a collaborative group studying Group A streptococcal anti-chemotactic proteases. The work is funded by a recent Wellcome Trust collaborative award, bringing together three independent research groups based at Imperial College.

The overarching aim of the work is to generate a comprehensive structural and molecular perspective on how the proteases target and process their host substrates and in doing so, exert influence on host chemoattractant biology. This will serve as a blueprint for the design of a novel, broad-acting vaccine to combat Group A streptococcal infections. It will also provide a resource to permit future exploitation of the protease mode of action in anti-inflammatory drug development. Research partners include teams in the UK, USA and Singapore.

Duties and responsibilities

As research associate, you will work as part of a collaborative effort generating pure preparations of recombinant enzymes and chemoattractants and contribute to the preparation and publication of scientific papers and reports. You will be responsible for the development and execution of MS, ELISA and SPR assays testing the activity and specificity of recombinant proteins and the purification of leukocyte subsets from whole blood and their use in assays of activation. You will plan and conduct your own scientific work with appropriate supervision and be expected to maintain highly organized and accurate records of experimental work.

Eligibility

You should have a PhD in Microbiology, Immunology, Biochemistry or related fields. The posts require regular communication with multiple research groups; therefore, it is critical that the candidates can demonstrate excellent teamwork and communication skills.