Ref Number
B04-07638
Professional Expertise
Research and Research Support
Department
UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
See advert text
Contract Type
Fixed-term
Working Type
On site
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
14-Aug-2026
The Chemistry Department at University College London is the oldest in England, and today is one of the best in the UK, being ranked 3rd in the UK for its world-leading research in REF2021. We are located in Bloomsbury, at the heart of London, and offer an exciting and vibrant environment in which to study in one of the UK's top universities. The Department of Chemistry at UCL is committed to supporting excellence in both research and teaching. The department offers undergraduate BSc and MSci programmes in Chemistry and currently teaches ~750 undergraduates registered in Chemistry as well as students who select Chemistry on the Natural Sciences programme and first year Chemistry for life scientists. The department also offers a number of Postgraduate Taught Masters courses with about 80 students per year and has an overall PGR student school of about 200 students. The Chemistry Department has over 60 members of academic staff carrying out world-leading research. We specialise in the areas of organic synthesis, chemical biology, computational chemistry, nanotechnology, inorganic and materials chemistry, physical chemistry and chemical physics. The department has an annual research income of around £15 million, derived from many sources including the Research Councils (EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, and NERC), European Commission and a wide range of charities and industrial partners in the UK, Europe and the USA. Details about our research can be found on the departmental website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/chemistry.
We are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Researcher to join a research team on developing new nucleic acids structures to study lipid bilayers at University College London. In this project, you will join a pioneering interdisciplinary research strategy to probe key biophysical properties of lipid bilayer including membrane elasticity and membrane thickness. You will design and from probes by assembly of nucleic acid strands, and characterize the resulting DNA nanostructures with molecular biological and biophysical tools. Using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, you will examine the interaction of the DNA probes with synthetic and biologicla membranes of cell. The insight will help improve the understanding of the biological role of lipid bilayer elasticity and thickness. The nucleic acid and biophysical work will be supervised by Prof. Stefan Howorka in the Department of Chemistry at UCL (www.howorkalab.com). The post is for up to 12months and start date is as soon as possible. Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Research Assistant Grade 6B (salary £39,148 - £41,833 per annum, including London Allowance of £5,197 p.a.) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.
You will have a PhD degree (or will have submitted their thesis prior to taking up the position) in Chemistry or Chemical Biology, or Biophysics studies and possess experience in the following areas: nucleic acids chemistry encompassing DNA nanotechnology, molecular biology, AFM, TEM, and lipid bilayer membranes and membrane biophysics. Prior experience in fluorescence confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence-lifetime imaging is desirable. A full job description and Person Specification can be accessed via the link at the bottom of the page. To apply for the vacancy please click on the ‘Apply Now’ button below, as we wish to encourage applications online. Please include a cover letter stating why you are interested in the position and how you fulfil the job criteria, your CV, and a list of publications. For informal enquiries please contact Professor Stefan Howorka; [email protected] Any queries on the application process can be directed to [email protected].
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below: • 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) • Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme • Hybrid Final Salary Pension Scheme • Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan • On-Site nursery • On-site gym • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay • Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service • Discounted medical insurance Visit UCL Staff Rewards and Benefits to find out more.
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality. You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: Equality Diversity & Inclusion
