Research Associate in Chemical Biology

The University of Manchester; Manchester; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous employer contribution pension

29 days annual leave plus bank/public

Job summary

The University of Manchester is seeking a PDRA to work in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology. You will conduct research in the Jin group, lead the design, development and implementation of experiments to study sulfoglycolysis, and manage plasmid design, cloning, enzyme production and purification in a BSL-2 setting.

The role involves collaboration with multiple group members and external partners, with the aim of publishing results in high-impact journals.

Qualifications

• Experience with bacterial pathway research in a wet-lab setting.
• Ability to design, implement and optimize experimental workflows.
• Experience communicating results and collaborating with research teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and implement experiments to study sulfoglycolysis.
• Perform plasmid design, cloning, enzyme production and purification.
• Work with BSL-2 organisms and collaborate with the Jin group.
• Communicate progress and publish impactful results.

Skills

Lab techniques

BSL-2 handling

Molecular cloning

Protein expression

Tools

Cloning

Enzyme purification

Job description

Job reference: SAE-032677

Salary: £38,448 - £46,970 per annum depending on experience

Faculty/Organisational Unit: Science and Engineering

Employment type: Fixed Term

Division/Team: Department of Chemistry

Hours Per Week: 1 FTE

Closing date (DD/MM/YYYY): 09/11/2026

Contract Duration: 14 months

School/Directorate: School of Natural Sciences

This PDRA position will be based in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) under the supervision of Dr Yi Jin, Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellow.

The candidate will conduct research in the laboratories and manage the Jin group. They will lead the design, development and implementation of the experiments to study a bacterial pathway called sulfoglycolysis, as well as plasmid design and cloning, enzyme production and purification, and BSL2 organism handling. Whilst a number of aspects of this project have been established and implemented in the group, an essential part of this role will be to communicate and further develop the project with other group members and collaborators. This post will be last part of 6-year long project and bring a conclusion by publishing the impactful results in high-impact journals.

About the Team

MIB is a cross-disciplinary research centre that brings together more than 400 researchers with expertise and skills supporting industrial, environmental and clinical biotechnology, including chemistry; chemical biology; engineering biology; biochemical-engineering; materials science; synthetic biology; advanced analytics and computer science.

The Jin group is located in Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), currently consisted of 7 PhD students. Her group has expertise in fluorine chemistry, structural biology and mechanistic enzymology enables her to drive transformative research into the enzymes and pathways involved in bacterial persistence and antibiotic resistance. This role is funded by the Wellcome Trust Fellowship, involving working in both MIB and Michael Smith Building.

(Grades 6-9)

Our benefits include:

• Generous employer contribution pension
• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays, along with Christmas closure
• Ride to work and EV car scheme available

For more information, please see University of Manchester Benefits. You can also find information on our Flexible and Hybrid working here.

Enquiries about the role, shortlisting and interviews

Name: Yi Jin

Email Address: [e-mail]

General enquiries and administrative support

[e-mail]

Technical and job portal support

https://knowledge.jobtrain.co.uk/jobseeker [knowledge.jobtrain.co.uk]

Applications close at midnight on the closing date.

£38,448 to £46,970 per annum depending on experience