Research Assistant

Job Purpose 

The post holder will join Dr Ana Filipe’s Genomics group (https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/cvr/staff/groups/ngs) within the School of Infection &  Immunity (https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/), MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR) (http://www.cvr.ac.uk/). The CVR’s research in Viral Genomics and its in-house sequencing facility has expanded considerably over the years and to fuel this growth we have recently acquired state-of-the-art single-cell and spatial omics instruments.

As a highly skilled and experienced researcher, you will play an important role in our commitments to single-cell, spatial omics, and bulk transcriptomics of viral infections. Your expertise in molecular biology and high-throughput sequencing technology (HTS), encompassing sample preparation and data interpretation, will be instrumental in uncovering intricate insights into the mechanisms of viral infections at the spatial and single-cell levels.

Main Duties and Responsibilities 

Perform the following activities in conjunction with and under the guidance of the Principal Investigator (PI).

1. Assist in the planning and preparation of HTS libraries, including quality control of incoming samples, library preparation, sequencing runs, and interpretation of results.

2. Assist in designing and performing relevant experiments to evaluate new NGS-based protocols.

3. Contribute to discussions around troubleshooting of HTS instruments and workflows and help drive efforts toward the goal of developing robust, cutting-edge HTS technologies.

4. Document research output including analysis and interpretation of all data, maintaining records and databases, and drafting technical/progress reports and papers as appropriate.

5. Develop and enhance your research profile and reputation and that of the CVR, including contributing to publications of international quality in high profile/quality refereed journals, enhancing the research impact in terms of economic/societal benefit, and gathering indicators of esteem.

6. Contribute to the presentation of work at international and national conferences, internal and external seminars, colloquia, and workshops to develop and enhance our research profile.

7. Contribute to the identification of potential funding sources and assist in the development of proposals to secure funding from internal and external bodies to support future research.

8. Collaborate with colleagues and participate in team/group/meetings/seminars/workshops across the CVR and wider community.

9. Contribute to the organization, supervision, mentoring, and training of undergraduate and/or postgraduate students and less experienced members of the project team to ensure their effective development.

10. Perform administrative tasks related to the activities of the research group and School, including budgets/expenditures.

11. Carry out modest teaching activities [e.g. demonstrating etc.] and associated administration as assigned by the CVR Director and in consultation with the Principal Investigator.

12. Keep up to date with current knowledge and recent advances in the field/discipline.

13. Engage in continuing professional development activities as appropriate.

14. Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the Director of the CVR and/or Principal Investigator.

15. Contribute to the enhancement of the University’s international profile in line with the University’s Strategic Plan, World Changers Together.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and you may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and priorities and requirements evolve.

Please note that as part of your application, you must address and demonstrate how you meet EACH of the essential/desirable criteria. If you do not address each criterion in the format explained below you will not be shortlisted for interview.

Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 10 (Honours Degree or equivalent) in a biological science or other relevant subject. May be working towards a post-graduate qualification such as a Masters (Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 11) or PhD (Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 12).

Or

Equivalent professional qualifications in a relevant academic/research discipline, and experience of personal development in a similar role.

Desirable:

B1 Working towards or completed a PhD in Molecular Biology or Virology.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential:

C1 Knowledge in molecular biology and HTS protocols.

C2 Ability to implement a research project and work to deadlines, to achieve its aims. This includes the ability to prioritize and allocate resources appropriately.

C3 Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex material clearly.

C4 Excellent laboratory bench work and organizational skills, with meticulous attention to detail.

C5 Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrable ability to work well with others and independently.

C6 Demonstrable proficiency in authoring and reviewing protocols and reports.

C7 Ability to document all work at a level of detail sufficient for others to reproduce experimental results.

C8 Ability to define criteria for obtaining relevant results.

Desirable:

D1 Knowledge in virology.

D2 Knowledge of viral genomics.

D3 Demonstratable knowledge and understanding of single-cell, spatial, and bulk transcriptomics.

Experience

Essential:

E1 A strong experience in molecular biology protocols, especially those relevant to HTS technology (including DNA/RNA preparation, DNA/RNA quantification, PCR, and bead-based solutions) and demonstration of ability to troubleshoot in this area.

E2 Experience with high-throughput library preparation and operating the sequencers.

E3 Experience with genomic data interpretation.

E4 Experience working independently, developing projects from broad concepts, including planning HTS experiments.

Desirable:

F1 Experience in molecular virology.

F2 Experience with long-read sequencing platforms, namely Oxford Nanopore technology.

F3 Experience in performing single-cell, spatial and bulk transcriptomics experiments.

Additional Details:

Informal enquiries about this post may be directed to Dr Ana da Silva Filipe ([email protected])

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 6, £32,332 - £36,024 per annum.

This full-time post is funded until 31 March 2028.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.