Postdoctoral Fellow - Chandra Lab

Location: The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London

About us  

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. 

To learn more about the Crick, click here.

About the role 

The Chandra lab studies the evolution of brains and behaviour, using acoels as a model to ask how diffuse nerve nets transitioned into centralised brains and to understand its consequences.

The lab has developed the acoel Hofstenia miamia as a new neuroscience model. 

Find more about the Chandra lab here 

We are seeking an innovative and highly motivated Senior Laboratory Research Scientist to join the Chandra Lab and play a leading role in advancing our research into brain evolution and function. 

This exciting position will involve leading a project focused on engineering transgenic lines in Hofstenia and potentially other acoel species, helping to establish and expand a cutting-edge experimental platform for investigating nervous system organisation, regeneration, and behaviour. 

In addition to driving transgenics based research, the postholder will be responsible for animal care and the maintenance of healthy acoel cultures, as well as supporting the day to day operation of the laboratory to ensure the smooth delivery of research activities. 

What you will be doing  

You will have both transgenics research and lab management tasks including:

• experiments aimed at identifying optimal engineering protocols to develop stable transgenic lines in acoel worms
• plasmid design, cloning, molecular biology, embryo microinjections
• generation and maintenance of stable transgenic lines
• animal care, including collecting embryos, rearing juvenile wild-type and transgenic Hofstenia and potentially other acoel species, and monitoring an automated sea water recirculation system
• helping set up and organising the wet lab; onboarding lab members
• managing reagents, consumables, and equipment; maintaining inventory

Please click here for full job description 

About you 

You will bring  

• PhD in molecular biology or a related field*
• expertise in genetic engineering*
• experience with embryo microinjection*
• ability to work both independently and collaboratively*
• a track record of completing scientific projects, evidenced by authorship on rigorous peer-reviewed articles*
• experience with marine invertebrates or other non-model species (desirable) 

Minimum criteria* 

About Working at the Crick 

Our values  

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. 
• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. 
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community. 

At the Crick, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. If you need assistance with your application, please contact karen.au@crick.ac.uk.

To read more about our EDI approach, click here.   

What will you receive?  

We value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development. You can find out more about what we offer here.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'Apply' button above.