Research Fellow in Electron Microscopy and Image Analysis

1000scholars; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Birmingham invites a skilled researcher to lead SEM workflow development and quantitative image analysis for protein assemblies in an ARIA-funded project. You will work within the School of Chemistry and collaborate with the Facility for Electron Microscopy and cross-disciplinary teams.

Applicants should hold a PhD (or near completion) with practical SEM experience and strong image-analysis skills; TEM experience is desirable. Informal inquiries to Dr Dominik J. Kubicki.

Qualifications

• PhD (or near completion) in a relevant field.
• Practical SEM and sample-preparation experience.
• Strong quantitative image-analysis skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop SEM workflows and image-analysis methods to study protein assemblies.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team across chemistry and materials science.
• Contribute to publications and disseminate findings within ARIA networks.

Skills

SEM

TEM

Image analysis

Quantitative analysis

Team collaboration

Education

PhD (or near completion)

First degree in a relevant field

Tools

SEM

TEM

Image analysis software

Job description

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

Contract Type: Fixed-term contract for one year, with the possibility of extension until 31 July 2029

Description of the Group

This job is part of an Advanced Research + Invention Agency-funded project. Join Hephaisteion, within ARIA's Universal Fabricators programme, to help turn proteins into programmable templates for inorganic membranes. Our ambition is to manufacture materials with precisely controlled pores, to enable new separation technologies.

You will develop the electron microscopy and image-analysis workflows that show whether this ambition is becoming reality: how protein assemblies form and which defects limit their performance. Your findings will guide the team's next designs and manufacturing decisions.

Based in the School of Chemistry with Dr Dominik Kubicki, you will work with Birmingham's Facility for Electron Microscopy and an interdisciplinary team spanning protein science, materials chemistry and engineering. The role centres on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), sample preparation and quantitative image analysis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experience is highly desirable.

You will contribute to publications, engage with ARIA workshops and the wider Creator community, and develop your expertise at the interface of biological self-assembly and materials manufacturing.

Person Specification

You will have a relevant first degree and a PhD (or be close to completion), or equivalent research qualifications; practical SEM and sample-preparation experience; and strong quantitative image-analysis skills. You will communicate clearly, develop reproducible methods and organise your work within a collaborative project. TEM experience is desirable; training and specialist support will be available.

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Dominik J. Kubicki: [e-mail]

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working

£36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822