About the University:
The University of Bath was granted university status in 1966 by Royal Charter, however our roots can be traced back to the Bristol Trade School - a technical school established in 1856.
In 1885 the school was renamed the Merchant Venturers' Technical College and in 1929 the Bath School of Pharmacy became part of the college.
By 1960 the college had become the Bristol College of Science and Technology and, following the Robbins Report of 1963, which recommended immediate expansion of universities, began to look at gaining university status.
Job Description - Research Associate
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath, one of the UK’s leading universities.
We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to be part of the newly awarded IB Catalyst project. The SIMPAFY project (Sustainable Integrated Microwave Processing And Fermentative Yeast) is an academic-industrial partnership aimed at producing a palm oil substitute from a yeast cultured on lignocellulose derived feedstocks. Previous work has demonstrated that the yeast Metschnikowia pulcherrima can be cultured inexpensively under non-sterile conditions, producing a range of products including a viscous triglyceride oil and 2-phenylethanol. We have further demonstrated that M. pulcherrima can be cultured on lignocellulose hydrolysate produced using a novel low-energy, one-step microwave process.
Qualifications and Experience:
Within this project, the successful candidate will develop genomic and genetic tools, integrate phenotypic (transcriptomic and proteomic) and metabolic data in order to advance the development of M. pulcherrima as an industrially functional yeast. The candidate will join a diverse and vibrant research group including the labs of Dr. Daniel Henk, Prof. David Leak, and Prof. Rod Scott within the Biology and Biochemistry department at the University of Bath. The successful candidate should have a PhD in Biology, Genetics, or Industrial Biotechnology, experience in yeast or fungal genetics, genomics, microbiological and molecular biology techniques. The candidate should have a keen interest in the mechanisms by which microbes respond to their environments and the genetic tools used to alter those pathways. Experience with RNAseq, CRISPR, metabolomics, or comparative genomics techniques would be advantageous.
In this project the microwave processing of biomass will be further developed, genetic transformation of the unique strain of yeast will be undertaken to increase the efficiency of the process, we will develop a tailored bioreactor design for the fermentation and aim to demonstrate the process on the industrial pilot scale.
This four year project has been jointly funded by BBSRC, EPSRC and Innovate UK as part of the IB Catalyst Programme and is a collaboration between the Universities of Bath and York and industry partners Croda, C-TECH and AB Agri.
The University of Bath and our Department are committed to equality of opportunity. We particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups, including women.
The post is offered on a full time, fixed term contract basis up to 48 months, and is available from March 2016. It is anticipated that interviews will be held in early March 2016.
How to Apply:
Candidates who meet the requirements stated above, click the link below to apply.
Click here to apply online
Reference Number - FY3745
Application Deadline - 09th March 2016
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