Research Fellow in Cell wall Biophysics

Location: Leeds – Main Campus

Faculty/Service: Faculty of Biological Sciences

Grade: Grade 7

Salary: £31,656 to £37,768 per annum

Please note that due to funding limitations, an appointment will not be made above £31,656 p.a.

Contract Type: Fixed Term (3 years)

Available from 1 November 2016

Project Title: Unlocking plant intercellular channels: lessons from cell wall molecular biophysics

We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed research fellow to join an interdisciplinary research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The successful applicant will join a dynamic team formed by Dr Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso (School of Biology), Dr Michael Ries (School of Physics and Astronomy) and Dr Simon Connell (School of Physics and Astronomy) and a number of UK and international research partners. The aim of the project is to dissect the structure and biophysical properties underlying the regulation and function of plant intercellular channels. In the project you will work closely with a Research Fellow in plant biology, but the focus will be on characterizing the physical properties of cell wall biopolymers that accumulate and regulate intercellular communication in plants and materials made from these. The significance relies on the potential use of this knowledge in plant biotechnology and on the design of new biodegradable, biomimetic and nanostructured materials.

You will have completed a PhD degree (or equivalent) in Molecular Biophysics, Soft Matter, Material sciences or a related discipline. You will have a strong experience in advanced experimental techniques and a strong desire, enthusiasm and ambition to deliver cutting edge research in a multidisciplinary setting. It will be expected that you produce work that will result in a number of high quality research publications. You will have strong written and verbal communication skills and be willing to learn and apply cross-disciplinary approaches that link physics and biology to understand biological systems.

For further information contact the project leader and check the group webpage at https://benitezalfonso.wordpress.com/

Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso tel +44 (0)113 343 2811, email y.benitez-alfonso@leeds.ac.uk

Interviews are expected to be held week commencing: 26 September 2016

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