Project Scientist

UAG; Norwich; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Quadram Institute Bioscience in Norwich seeks a Project Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Naiara Beraza within the Food, Microbiome, and Health programme. The project investigates sex-dependent gene regulation in the intestine in relation to gut microbiota, inflammation and cancer.

You will perform in vivo studies, harvest tissues, and contribute to data collection, with supervision of staff and students. Experience with animal handling and a Home Office license is required.

Qualifications

• Competency and experience in animal handling and in vivo experiments, and holds a Home Office Personal License or equivalent.
• Basic competency in molecular and cell biology methodologies (nucleic acid and protein extraction and analysis by PCR, qPCR, immunoblotting, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and microscopy).
• Experience in preparation of manuscripts and supervising students.
• Excellent record keeping and time management skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Establishing and characterising mouse lines (e.g., genotyping).
• Perform in vivo studies and harvest tissue for analysis.
• Contribute to data collection and basic wet-lab techniques.
• Provide training and supervision of staff and students.

Skills

Animal handling

In vivo experiments

Molecular & cell biology

Nucleic acid/protein extraction

PCR/qPCR

Immunoblotting/ELISA

Immunohistochemistry

Flow cytometry

Microscopy

Manuscript preparation

Supervising students

Tools

PCR machine

Flow cytometer

Imaging equipment

Job description

Project Scientist

Applications are invited for a Project Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Naiara Beraza in the Food, Microbiome, and Health programme at Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB), based in Norwich, UK in a FAPESP-MRC funded collaboration with the groups of Patrick Varga-Weisz (University of Essex), Radu Zabet (Queen Mary University, London) and Marco Vinolo (UNICAMP, Brazil).

Background:

The gut microbiota normally supports nutrition and immunity but can also underlie inflammatory processes, such as observed in colitis. Chronic inflammation can predispose to cancer. In this international and collaborative project, funded by a grant from the Medical Research Council, we investigate gene-regulatory mechanisms of sex-dependent gene expression in the intestine in relation to gut microbiota, inflammation and cancer.

The role:

• Establishing and characterising (e.g., genotyping) mouse lines
• Perform in vivo studies
• Harvest tissue for analysis
• Perform basic wet-lab techniques
• Contribute to data collection
• Training and supervision of staff and students in above work

The ideal candidate:

You will have competency and experience in animal handling and in vivo experiments, and holds a Home Office Personal License or equivalent.

You will have basic competency on molecular and cell biology methodologies (such as nucleic acid and protein extraction and further analysis by PCR, qPCR, immunoblotting, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and microscopy). They will also have experience in the preparation of manuscripts and supervising students.
Experience in excellent record keeping and time management skills are critical.

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £30,600 to £37,400 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This post can be taken as a full-time post for a period of 18 months or a part-time (0.5 FTE) post for a period of three years.

Please note, this post does not meet UKVI requirements to provide visa sponsorship.

We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applications from all sectors of society. The Institute values of Respect, Innovation, Collaboration and Excellence are at the heart of all we do, and we expect all employees to share and display these values. To support our commitment, we have a range of family, faith and diversity friendly working arrangements to help all staff achieve excellence in their area of work.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.

The closing date for applications will be 7 October 2026.

About the Quadram Institute:

The Quadram Institute is a new interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to understanding how food and microbes interact to promote health and prevent disease. Its mission is to deliver healthier lives through innovation in gut health, microbiology and food. A partnership between Quadram Institute Bioscience, the University of East Anglia, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and BBSRC, it brings together scientists and clinicians in a state-of-the-art building on the Norwich Research Park. This is one of Europe's largest centres of life sciences and home of the John Innes Centre and The Earlham Institute. https://quadram.ac.uk/

The Quadram Institute Bioscience is a registered charity (No. 1058499) and is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

£30,600 to £37,400 per annum depending on qualifications and experience.