Laboratory Technician

The Oxford Martin Programme on Safer Antifungals aims to unlock a new generation of naturally inspired products to combat fungal diseases in agriculture and medicine. You will develop, optimize and implement experimental methods, while providing technical and administrative support for the Programme and its dedicated laboratory in Oxford's state-of-the-art Life and Mind Building.
The work centres on microscopic freshwater animals called bdelloid rotifers, which naturally protect themselves from fungi using genes acquired through horizontal DNA transfer. You will join an interdisciplinary team translating this recent biological discovery into a platform for identifying safer antifungal compounds, bringing together expertise from Biology, Pharmacology, Chemistry, Medicine, the Ineos Oxford Institute and Oxford University Innovation. Your work will include maintaining cultures of rotifers, fungi and bacteria, collecting data, and optimising methods to extract biological molecules at scale. You will also help ensure the smooth running of the laboratory and provide technical guidance to researchers and students where appropriate.

The successful applicant will have relevant laboratory experience in experimental microbiology, biochemical analyses, or related methods, and hold at least science A levels or equivalent. You will have excellent practical laboratory skills, including a commitment to safe working, quantitative accuracy, strong attention to detail, the ability to organise samples and record results in a clear and organised fashion. You will have good written and verbal communication skills, including writing text for reports or publications and presenting research clearly at group meetings.

This post is full time, for 48 months and available immediately.