Research Associate in Plant/Soil Microbial Ecology

About the role

The Graystock Lab at the Silwood Park Campus of Imperial College London is seeking a microbial ecologist interested in pineering a new approach towards suppressing the pathogens of one of the world’s most important staple crops, wheat (T. aestivum). We aim to do this through manipulation of the extant soil microbiome. The project aims to 1) optimise/engineer soil microbiomes to aid the suppression of the take-all fungus, Gaeumannomyces tritci, in the wheat rhizosphere; and 2) to advance our fundamental understanding of microbial community dynamics in complex environments. This project represents a multi-disciplinary collaboration among the Pawar, Ransome, Waring and Bell labs. 

Through directed artificial selection, we will develop soil microbiomes that exhibit suppression of take-all disease in the greenhouse setting. Working in climate-controlled growth facilities and with the assistance of a laboratory technician, you will lead the development of a soil microbiome to reduce disease virulence and improve crop yield. With the assistance of bioinformaticians and mathematicians within the wider group you will go on to identify the microbial taxa and/or metabolic networks which most strongly influence crop performance. As such, you will play a key role in the development of a sustainable, microbial solution, combatting one of the most harmful diseases of wheat crops. 

What you would be doing

Your primary task will be to design and carry out lab/CE-room experiments to explore ways to manipulate and optimise soil microbiomes to promote wheat growth and/or suppress resistance to G. tritici. You will work as part of a diversly skilled collaboration, all based at the Silwood Park campus of Imperial College London and working on this system and overarching goal to develop a sustainable strategy to control take-all disease in wheat. The experiment will also involve some exploration into the use of robotics and spectral analysis in assessing crop health. 

You will be assisted in this effort by a team of four PDRAs, two research technicians, and many post-graduate students across the five collaborating lab groups, who will be engaged in the laboratory optimisation of the disease-suppressing inoculum, molecular and culture-based studies of microbial physiology, and computational modelling to understand and predict the dynamics of microbial communities. By working closely together, this team has the potential to significantly advance our capacity to manage complex microbiomes to improve the sustainability of agriculture. You will therefore be expected to interact frequently with your colleagues in the laboratory, in the field, and through regular group meetings. You will also have the opportunity to supervise of undergraduate and post-graduate student projects. Finally, you will be provided the resources to advance your own career along your desired path, through mentorship, professional development opportunities, and opportunities to develop collaborations that extend beyond the core group, including with Rothamsted Research and CABI. 

You will be expected to communicate the findings of your research through conference presentations and scientific publications. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to connect directly with farmers and other local stakeholders who are collaborating with our research group.

What we are looking for

• Hold, or near completion of, a PhD in a relevant field
• Excellent scientific communication skills, as evidenced by presentations at scientific conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Evidence of effective collaborative work in a team environment
• Experience with the basics of experimental design and statistical analysis (the latter in the R programming environment)
• Demonstrated research experience in at least two of the following areas (no candidate is expected to have expertise in all of them):
• Microbiome engineering
• Plant-fungal interactions
• Plant pathology
• Soil microbial ecology
• Agronomy
• Experience with the management/organisation of large datasets

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow your career: Gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year and generous pension schemes).

Further information

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant.

Applicants should provide a CV and a cover letter (two pages maximum) explaining their qualifications for the role.

Long-listed candidates will be contacted to complete a Belbin Profile (a free login will be provided) and a short ‘challenge question’ directly relevant to the role. We anticipate holding interviews for these candidates in early December. 

Should you require any further details on the role please contact Peter Graystock at p.graystck@imperial.ac.uk with ‘Green Microbiome PDRA’ in the subject line.

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

• download: Job Description Research Associate.pdf
• download: Employee Benefits Booklet.pdf

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