Post Doctoral Researcher in Quantitative Imaging Biology (10370)
As a Post Doctoral Researcher at the Rosalind Franklin Institute, you will bring scientific knowledge and skills to deliver a specific research project and/or you will bring independent, creative science, or specific skills to a team delivering a project or program. Through this work, you will build scientific independence, develop new science and leadership skills, and establish a growing reputation externally.
If you are a creative scientist that wants to explore novel venues on quantitative imaging biology, then join us. Our lab is interested in Molecular Organisation of Cell Interfaces in the epithelial tissue and in pathology of intestinal diseases. We use super-resolution STED microscopy in combination with gut organoids, biophysics and chemical biology to uncover how epithelial cells organise in space and time under different physico-chemical environments to drive self-organisation processes that shape mesoscale structures enabling tissue function. To that end, we generate high amount of complex data across scales from molecules to mesoscale structures. Our interdisciplinary team includes biology, chemistry and physics.
Your role will be to lead a research project focused on quantitative imaging of epithelial cell biology and biophysics. Moreover, support and develop novel workflows of bioimaging analysis to quantify advanced imaging data generated by super-resolution STED microscopy, FLIM, FRET and FCS. You will collaborate with other research institutions including the University of Oxford where we are also based.
Candidates must hold a PhD in cell biology, biophysics, physics, mathematics or computer science along with experience in advance quantitative microscopy analysis. We are looking for a colleague with strong organisational and communication skills, with demonstrated laboratory experience. Experience with formulating research questions and devising strategies to address these questions would aid the individual selected for this role. We expect you to lead publications, contribute to research grant writing, collaborate with other members of the lab towards knowledge advancement.
This post would be ideal for a candidate who has developed a strong background on bioimaging analysis, quantitative biology or biophysics and would like to lead a project developing novel quantitative imaging pipelines and who would like to gain further experience in cutting edge techniques including super-resolution imaging, condensate biology and cell adhesion in epithelia tissue.
Key Responsibilities
Your primary task will be to lead a project on quantitative imaging biology. You will develop novel ways of analysing complex data (e.g. 3D volumetric STED) that will enable wider scientific discoveries and advance our understanding of biology. You will also develop novel pipelines of generating quantitative bioimaging data using various optics and electronic tools.
We encourage applicants with a broad experimental-analytical interest, as the job holder will contribute both to the development of new methods and their application to investigate the organisation and dynamics of cell interfaces.
As a Post Doctoral Researcher, you will also:
• Plan and conduct experiments, analyse and interpret results and supervised delivery of outputs (e.g., research reports, patent applications) in a scientific/technology area of interest.
• Work within a project team, contributing to wider projects around key Challenges.
• Lead major contributions to research outputs including papers, patents and both internal and external presentations.
• Support and develop others including day-to-day supervision of students or visitors in areas related to own research.
• Enhance your research through collaboration with other researchers and make active contributions to exchanging of ideas through your own network.
• Understand, interpret, create and communicate appropriately within a research context.
• Develop search and discovery skills and techniques.
• Be supervised by a Scientist/Senior Scientist in delivery of outputs, either in the context of a project or Challenge or as an early career development fellow.
• PhD or equivalent in Life Science Physics, Mathematics, Cell Biology or Computer Science
• Advanced coding skills in Python and Matlab.
• Knowledge in advanced bioimaging tools Fiji, Napari or Huygens.
• Biostatistics, statistical data handling.
• 2+ years of coding experience and analysis of advanced biological data.
• Experience working with microscopy data, advanced quantitative image analysis.
• Understanding of molecular and cell biology (preferable cell-adhesion biology).
• Proven skills working independent and as part of an international team.
• Having at least a first author publication.
• Experience working with super-resolution fluorescence imaging.
• Experience in biophysics quantitative imaging techniques (FCS, FLIM, FRET).
• Experience working on artificial intelligence, machine learning for imaging analysis.
• Experience on handling 3D volumetric data segmentation, deconvolution or denoising.
• Involvement in scientific academic projects.
• Using project management techniques to define own project area and manage problems and conflicts.
• Understanding recent advances in own research.
• Working towards making a unique contribution and gaining broader awareness.
• Experience formulating research questions and devising strategies to address these.
• Excellent organisational and communications skills.
• Ability to learn new methods and grow research.
• Openness to new ideas and gaining experience.
• Able to use a variety of research methods.
• Adaptable approach when required, seeking guidance when needed and recognising risk.
• Building support and collaboration to attain goals, working well across disciplines.
• Understanding and demonstrating standards of good research practice.
The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a national interdisciplinary research centre, funded by the UK government through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). We are dedicated to creating new disruptive technologies which will allow us to see the biological world in new ways, from picometre-scale atoms to centimetre-scale tumours. These technological advances will speed up the discovery of new medicines, help find new diagnostics and contribute to a deeper understanding of human health and disease.
The Franklin operates from a purpose-built research facility on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus near Didcot, a unique community of government, academia and industry working to accelerate progress on key issues. The 700-acre campus is steeped in world-firsts, and technology and research are at the heart of everything Harwell does.
Our building houses both specialist laboratories, research scientists and operational staff within a state-of-the art facility designed to inspire our people in their work and create a welcoming hub for our collaborations and visitors. Our research values of adventure, novelty, engagement, and utility are drawn on and exemplified by the Franklin team through our collaborations with universities and industrial partners, both in the UK and internationally.