Research Support Assistant

University Of Bristol; England; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Bristol invites applications for a Research Support Assistant within the PIONEER programme. You will work at the interface of computational biology and protein engineering, applying AI-based design tools and structure prediction to advance research objectives.

You will contribute to data generation and analysis, collaborate with researchers across disciplines, and gain experience with high-performance computing and publishing research findings.

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant scientific discipline.
• Experience with computational protein design methods.
• Experience with protein structure prediction tools (AF3, Boltz-2).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently with guidance when needed.
• Good organisational and workload management skills.
• Collaborative and multidisciplinary teamwork experience.

Responsibilities

• Design protein and peptide binders using AI-based design tools and computational methods.
• Develop and optimise computational design pipelines on HPC clusters.
• Perform molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate protein structures and interactions.
• Collaborate with software engineers and operate on UK’s Isambard-AI system.
• Collaborate with lab researchers to characterise designed proteins and peptides.
• Analyse and present research findings at team meetings and contribute to publications.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to reporting and milestones.
• Occasionally train students or colleagues in computational methodologies.

Skills

Computational protein design

Data analysis

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific discipline

Tools

AF3

ESMFold2

Boltz-2

Job description

The role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Support Assistant to join the multi-institutional PIONEER (Programmable In-Organellar Nucleic-acid Entry, Expression and Retention) programme, funded through the ARIA Precision Mitochondria scheme. The project brings together experts across disciplines to develop innovative approaches for engineering biological systems and organelles.

Based in the School of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, you will work closely with Prof. Ross Anderson, Prof. Mark Szczelkun, and a collaborative team of researchers. This position is ideal for a recent graduate or early-career researcher looking to build expertise at the interface of computational protein design and engineering biology. The role is designed to provide training, mentorship and research experience that will support future progression to Research Associate positions.

What will you be doing?

You will contribute to the delivery of key research objectives within the PIONEER programme by applying computational approaches to protein and peptide design and supporting the generation and analysis of research data. Key responsibilities include:

• Designing protein and peptide binders using state-of-the-art computational methods and AI-based design tools, including RFDiffusion3, proteinMPNN, Boltzgen and DiffDock.
• Using structure prediction platforms such as AF3, ESMFold2 and Boltz-2 on high performance computing clusters to develop and optimise computational design pipelines.
• Performing molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate protein structures and interactions.
• Working with research software engineers and specialist computational platforms to support project development on the UK’s most powerful supercomputer, Isambard-AI.
• Collaborating with laboratory-based researchers to experimentally characterise designed proteins and peptides.
• Analysing and presenting research findings at team meetings and contributing to scientific publications.
• Maintaining accurate research records and contributing to project reporting and milestone delivery.
• Supporting and occasionally training students or colleagues in computational methodologies.

You should apply if

• You have a degree in a relevant scientific discipline and are enthusiastic about developing a research career in computational biology, protein engineering or related fields. We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate:
• Experience with computational protein design methods and associated data analysis.
• Experience of protein structure prediction tools such as AF3 and Boltz-2.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present scientific findings clearly.
• The ability to work independently while recognising when to seek guidance.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage workloads effectively.
• A collaborative approach and enthusiasm for working within a multidisciplinary research team.
• Experience of high-performance computing, gene editing systems, bacterial defence systems, or research laboratory environments would be advantageous but is not essential.

This is an outstanding opportunity to contribute to a high-profile, cutting-edge research programme while developing valuable computational and research skills in a supportive and ambitious environment.