Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term) Part-time

Post-Doctoral Research Associate

The Department of Plant Sciences is seeking to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Associate to join a project on reprogramming plants. The engineered plants will be used to provide unique insights into the biological programs that control root growth in response to nitrogen, and the role of root system architecture in nutrient use efficiency. The successful candidate will join the Patron Lab and will work in collaboration with researchers in the Brady Lab (University of California at Davis, USA). We provide a supportive research environment with an emphasis on personal development, research excellence, integrity, and respect.

Role overview The successful applicant will design and develop molecular tools to engineer nitrate signalling and root development. They will characterise engineered plants and conduct experiments to investigate the role of root systems on the uptake and use of externally applied nutrients.

Key skills The successful candidate must have a PhD in plant molecular biology or plant synthetic biology and a thorough understanding of plant responses to nutrient availability. Applicants should be proficient in the design and production of engineered plants and be experienced in their molecular and phenotypic analysis. They will also be proficient in the analysis of transcriptomic data, including familiarity with single-cell transcriptomics.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 12 months in the first instance.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Key Information

Department/location: Department of Plant Sciences

Salary: £34,610 – £35,608 £37,694 – £46,049

Reference: PD49535

Category: Research

Date published: 1 May 2026

Closing date: 8 May 2026