Research Technician in Aberystwyth

We are seeking a skilled, highly motivated and experienced Research Assistant to join the Trained Immunity – Improving Immune Health of Livestock UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project awarded to Dr Amanda Gibson, embedded within the Sêr Cymru Centre of Excellence for Bovine Tuberculosis, VetHub and the Department of Life Sciences at Aberystwyth University. The Research Assistant will support the Fellow, Post Doctoral Research Associate and postgraduate students to characterise trained immunity in cattle in close collaboration with project partners at Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), The Roslin Institute, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), University College Dublin (UCD) and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAe).

A largely understudied concept for improving livestock health and reducing infectious disease burden is trained immunity. Trained immunity is a long-term functional modification of cells in the innate immune system which leads to an altered, protective response to a second unrelated challenge by an infectious agent (heterologous challenge) and is thought to be mediated by functional reprogramming of myeloid cells. However, the exact mechanisms that lead to trained immunity in livestock are not fully understood. The Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG) vaccine is the best described inducer trained immunity. In this project, the aim is to use BCG as a model to map, characterise and understand trained immunity in cattle, to demonstrate heterologous protection, and evaluate the impact of BCG vaccination on antimicrobial usage within vaccinated herds across several work packages.

A range of cutting-edge molecular tools (ATACseq, ChIPseq, RNAseq) and advanced cell culture models (e.g., co-culture and Precision Cut Lung Slices) will be employed, together with applied bioinformatic approaches for data analysis and visualisation.

We welcome informal enquiries about the post. Please contact Dr Amanda Gibson, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, Lecturer in Innate Immunology and VetHub Academic Lead, at amg39@aber.ac.uk. Appointments are normally made within 4 - 8 weeks of the closing date.

The Department of Life Sciences (DLS) is a research intensive academic department at Aberystwyth University, which has a long tradition of excellence in research and teaching in the life sciences. Staff in DLS conduct basic, strategic and applied research across the full span of the contemporary life sciences, from subcellular biochemistry to the impact of environmental change on organisms, populations and ecosystems. The Department offers state-of-the-art research facilities including advanced bio-imaging and microscopy suites, high-throughput DNA sequencing platforms and gene expression/manipulation capabilities, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics and spectroscopic platforms, as well as extensive modern laboratories, growth rooms and glasshouses.

Animal facilities include controllable marine and freshwater aquarium systems, a small mammal research facility, an equine centre with international-sized indoor arena, and animal production facilities across multiple farms.

This job description is subject to review and amendment in response to the changing needs of the project, to provide appropriate development opportunities and/or the addition of any other reasonable duties. Successful applicants would be expected to deliver the following principal duties:

• Undertake laboratory-based experiments aligned with the project objectives
• Provide research support across the project working closely with the Fellow, Post Doctoral Research Associate and Post Graduate Students
• Contribute to effective management of the laboratory environment including maintenance of equipment, stock and reagent management, placing orders and completing storage inventories, and waste management
• Keep clear, reproducible and detailed records of experimental plans, data collection and analysis
• Compile, analyse and report experimental results
• Contribute to the publication of research outputs in high quality, international peer-reviewed journals
• Present research outputs at group meetings and external conferences
• Provide laboratory inductions, equipment and procedure training, and supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research students within the laboratory
• Work effectively with colleagues within and beyond the Department, including attending team meetings, performing work at collaborative research institutes as required, and working cooperatively with Professional Services and technical team colleagues
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post
• Be committed to the University’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy, demonstrating an understanding of how it operates within the responsibilities of the post
• Be committed to your own development through engagement with the University’s Effective Contribution Scheme (ECS) and Continuous Personal Development (CPD) opportunities
• Undertake any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role

Who you are – Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills required:

Essential:

• A BSc in Immunology, Microbiology, or closely related subject
• Demonstrable experience of aseptic technique and use of microbiological safety cabinets
• Demonstrable experience of mammalian cell culture e.g., primary cells or immortalised cell lines
• Demonstrable experience of in vitro mammalian cell stimulation assays
• Demonstrable experience of performing immunoassays e.g., ELISA, Luminex technology
• Demonstrable experience of eukaryotic nucleic acid extraction, purification and molecular biology techniques e.g., molecular cloning, PCR, qPCR and gel electrophoresis
• Demonstrable experience in routine maintenance of specialist laboratory equipment e.g., flow cytometers or cell sorters
• Knowledge of COSHH and laboratory health and safety procedures
• Demonstrable experience in writing and maintaining risk assessments for use in the laboratory
• Demonstrable engagement with relevant CPD and a willingness to undertake appropriate development opportunities e.g., in research skills, networking, data analysis
• Demonstrable ability to work well within a team environment with excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• A willingness to work occasional evenings and/or weekends commensurate with planned experimental work and to attend meetings and events
• An ability to understand the bilingual nature of the University and an awareness of the procedures in place to support working bilingually

Desirable:

• A Masters in Immunology, Microbiology, Biosciences or closely related subject
• Demonstrable experience of primary immune cell isolation e.g., PBMC, monocytes, macrophages
• Knowledge of innate immune cell biology
• Demonstrable experience in flow cytometry
• Demonstrable experience in Luminex technology
• Demonstrable experience of bacterial culture
• Technical skills in data analysis and use of statistical packages e.g., R, GraphPad Prism, SPSS, or MATLAB
• Demonstrable experience in the training and supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Demonstrable experience of working in Containment Level 3 laboratory environment
• Proven ability to contribute to the publication of research
• Full valid UK driving licence, or equivalent right to drive in the UK
• Oral (spoken) and Written Welsh Level C2, or evidence to demonstrate an on-going commitment to learning Welsh to this level

To promote a flexible workforce, the University will consider applications from individuals seeking full time, part time, job share, or term time only working arrangements. Applications for this role must be made through jobs.aber.ac.uk. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.

Benefits include:

• Flexible working policy
• 36.5 – hour week for full-time roles
• Generous leave entitlements – 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays and university closed days
• Commitment to Professional Development
• Enhanced contribution to our workplace pension schemes
• Staff and reward schemes
• Opportunity to learn the Welsh language for free
• Staff relocation bursary
• Maternity, Paternity, Parental and Adoption Leave
• Staff discount for gym facilities, hospitality, and retail on campus

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities and those that are currently underrepresented in our workforce. This includes but is not limited to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities, and female candidates. We are a Bilingual Institution which complies with the Welsh Language Standards and is committed to Equal Opportunities.