Research Assistant

We are recruiting a Research Assistant/Technician to join the lab of Professor Adrian Saurin in the Department of Genome Integrity at The University of Dundee. This is a fixed-term appointment for 36 months in the first instance, with possible extension thereafter. Funds are also available for UK-based candidates to register for a PhD during the appointment.

We are looking for a talented researcher to join an 8-year Wellcome-funded team project. The goal is to study a fundamental property of all phosphorylation sites, for which almost nothing is currently known: the speed at which individual molecules are phosphorylated and dephosphorylated over time. The interdisciplinary team assembled to tackle this has expertise in kinase and phosphatase signalling (Prof Adrian Saurin, University of Dundee), mass spectrometry (Dr Tony Ly, University of Dundee) and biochemical reconstitutions (Prof Andrea Musacchio, Max Planck Institute, Dortmund). These approaches will be used to study how dynamic phosphorylation sites that continually "flash" on and off regulate key signalling properties during mitosis. A major goal is to understand how these sites are important to regulate kinetochores and chromosome segregation, and why this may fail to drive cancer progression. This position is to generate cell biology tools/reagents and to use microscopy techniques to study mitotic progression. There is the possibility for the candidate to transit between labs and learn other skills, such as mass spectrometry. UK-based candidates could also register for a PhD during the appointment, if suitable.

For further information about this position please contact Prof Adrian Saurin at a.saurin@dundee.ac.uk.

To find out more about the lab and the project in general please visit www.saurinlab.com. In particular, check out the philosophy section to learn more about lab culture.

Your priorities will include:

• Generating new tools to inducibly inhibit localised kinase and phosphatase activity
• Using CRISPR/Cas9 to generate cell lines and perform functional screens
• Performing live and fixed cell imaging to quantify mitotic progression
• Working effectively and collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team.

Who we are looking for:

• A highly-motivated researcher with a passion for science.
• A candidate with a degree in relevant biological science area
• A scientific background in cell biology and relevant techniques, although we will also consider outstanding and ambitious graduate students who want to develop a research career.
• Candidates who are motivated, honest, hard-working, collaborative and possess excellent organisational skills