Research Associate - Cambridge, United Kingdom - University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

Verified Company

Cambridge, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Applications are invited to recruit a talented and enthusiastic post-doctoral scientist to work on a Wellcome Trust funded project in the group of Prof Paul J Lehner FRS.

Our group discovered the HUSH epigenetic transcriptional silencing complex, which silences newly integrated retroelements (retroviruses/retrotransposons). We recently showed how HUSH distinguishes 'self' from 'non-self' genomic DNA through the recognition of 'intronless' DNA the hallmark of reverse transcription (Nature 2022;

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HUSH provides a unique genome immunosurveillance system and allows mechanistic insight into self-recognition at the genomic level, with broad implications for all life-forms, and significant therapeutic potential.

We now wish to determine how HUSH works, how cellular introns provide self-nonself discrimination, how some genes evade HUSH, as well as HUSH's role in cellular development and its interactions with other silencing pathways.

We will take an integrated approach, using molecular, biochemical, cell biological, and CRISPR/Cas9 tools combined with bioinformatic analyses, to understand HUSH activity.

The work will be undertaken in the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID).

This new institute and building provide an exceptional and stimulating environment that promotes collaborative and interdisciplinary research, with state-of-the-art facilities, and is housed on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus alongside the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and adjacent to the LMB and CRUK building.

Recent publications related to our approaches and this project include: Seczynska et al Trends in Genetics 2023 (

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; Seczynska et al
Nature 2022

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; Douse et al
Nat Commun 2018

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;Tchasovnikarova et al
Nat Genet 2017

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; Tchasovnikarova et al
Science 2015

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Applicants will be expected to work closely and interactively with colleagues in different disciplines within the lab and have good communications skills.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD, or an equivalent research doctorate.

Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance.

The interview date for the role is: To be confirmed

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