• Job Description

  Req#: R1492

  Salary for this Role:

  From £41,935 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

  Job Title:

  Postdoctoral Fellow

  Reports to:

  Naomi Moris

  Closing Date:

  21/Jan/2024 23.59 GMT

  Job Description:

  Postdoctoral Fellow – Moris lab

  Reporting to: Naomi Moris, Group Leader

  Contact term: This is a full-time, fixed term, 4-year position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

  The Research Group

  Much remains to be discovered about the dynamic regulation and principles underlying development, especially regarding the emergence and establishment of the body plan of the embryo. The Developmental Models Laboratory (Moris lab) aims to explore these themes using cutting-edge in vitro model systems. In particular, the group uses 3D gastruloids to model the coordinated emergence of multilineage tissues, axially organised in a spatiotemporal manner. Our work explores a range of questions, including the role of signalling in coordinating fate decisions in 3D and interactions between tissue types during early embryogenesis.

  The Project

  We are recruiting for a post to support our recently awarded BBSRC strategic Longer and Larger project, GlycoWeb. The multi-partner project includes research groups from The University of Nottingham, Liverpool University, Manchester University, and the Francis Crick Institute and we additionally have international (USA and Denmark) and commercial partners (InterReality Labs) as part of the team. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a class of biomolecules that decorate the surface of virtually all cells in the body as well as in the ‘matrix’ between cells. They have been shown to play critical roles in a multitude of biological processes, including cell signalling and development and host-pathogen interactions, being often dysregulated in disease. Despite their ubiquity and clear importance, we lack a thorough understanding of how GAG biosynthesis is controlled by cells. Apart from a few exceptions, we also currently do not know how the molecular structure of a particular GAG links to its biological function. To compound this problem, there is currently a lack of tools with which to detect and characterise GAGs in tissues and on cells. The team assembled for this programme will apply a diverse set of approaches to address these fundamental knowledge gaps using an ambitious multidisciplinary approach, integrating analyses at the transcriptional through to the multicellular level. Linking with international centres of excellence in Denmark and the USA, as well as a commercial partner expert in the application of virtual reality to data sharing and interrogation, ensures that the team can work at the forefront of technological advances. The post includes opportunities for working visits to partner labs, dependent on the applicant’s personal situation and availability for travel.

  Candidates must hold a PhD (or be near to completion of a PhD or equivalent) in biology, cell biology, developmental biology or a related area. Candidates should also have experience of a range of techniques, with a focus on 3D cell culture models, biochemical analysis, imaging and image analysis. The position will involve stem cell biology, immunofluorescence, and glycosaminoglycan analysis. It would be advantageous to have experience of in vitro 3D stem cell-based model development, molecular characterisation methods and a reasonable understanding of glycobiology. You will work within a highly skilled, collaborative, and exciting research team, making use of state-of-the-art 3D models of development known as gastruloids to determine how changes in GAG structures affect the signalling pathways driving early development.

  This grant-funded role will enable a researcher to use the human gastruloid system as an in vitro model of GAG regulation during development. The ability to work in a team is essential.

  Key experience and competencies

  The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values: Bold; Open; Collegial. We are particularly looking for ambitious candidates, who want to lead a ground-breaking but challenging project, who have a keen interest in mammalian embryonic development and a desire to novel in vitro models. The candidate will use a range of techniques to answer fundamental questions, so should be self-driven and motivated. In addition, the candidate will have the following:

  Essential

  • PhD in Biology/Genetics/Development or similar, or in the final stages of PhD submission

  • Technical expertise in stem cell culture, particularly mouse or human embryonic stem cells

  • Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications or submitted manuscripts in refereed journals

  • Evidence of data presentation at scientific meetings

  • Ability to work independently and interacting within a group

  Desirable

  • Experience in research with 3D cellular models such as organoids and gastruloids

  • Familiarity with GAG analysis assays, mass spectroscopy or matrix biology

  • Experience teaching others e.g. supervising students or visiting researchers

  About Us

  At the Crick, we conduct research at the forefront of biomedical research. We combine rigour with an open and collaborative culture, and are outward-looking, reflecting our status as a partnership of six organisations aiming to pool knowledge, ideas and resources.

  We have a wide research portfolio with no divisions or departments, bringing biomedical researchers together with clinicians, physical scientists and applied scientists from our pharmaceutical partners.

  We aim to attract the most talented researchers and support them to tackle innovative research questions. Our science technology platforms provide our researchers with access to state-of-the-art technology and expertise.

  We provide an excellent learning environment with dedicated education programmes in public engagement with science, education and personal development, and a postdoc programme that prepares scientists for leadership roles in science.

  • If you are interested in applying for this role, please apply via our website .

  • All offers of employment are subject to successful security screening and continuous eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.

  • If you require a visa to work in the UK we will help support your application should you be successful

  Find out what benefits the Crick has to offer:

  For more information on our great pay and benefits package please click here: https://www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-study/life-at-the-crick/pay-and-benefits

  Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

  We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, pregnancy, age, disability, or civil partnership, marital or family status. We particularly welcome applications from people who are Minority Ethnic as they are currently underrepresented in the Crick at this level.

  Diversity is essential to excellence in scientific endeavour. It increases breadth and perspective, leading to more innovation and creativity. We want the Crick to be a place where everyone feels valued and where diversity is celebrated and seen as part of the foundation for our Institute’s success.

  The Crick is committed to creating equality of opportunity and promoting diversity and inclusivity. We all share in the responsibility to actively promote dignity, respect, inclusivity and equal treatment and it is our aim to ensure that these principles are reflected and implemented in all strategies, policies and practices.

  Read more on our website: https://www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-study/life-at-the-crick/equality-diversity-and-inclusion

• About the company

  The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical research centre in London, which was established in 2010 and opened in 2016.

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