Research Associate Structural Biology

The Imperial College London is inviting applications for a Research Associate position in the Department of Life Sciences. The position will be based in the laboratory of Tiago Dias da Costa and focuses on advancing research in molecular microbiology and structural biology. The project is funded by a Wellcome Trust Discovery Award.

The project aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in bacteria. Horizontal gene transfer plays a crucial role in microbial evolution and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. This project focuses on understanding two major mechanisms of HGT:
Bacterial conjugation and Bacteriophage‑mediated transduction.

The research will investigate the macromolecular nanomachines that enable these processes, with particular emphasis on the structural biology of conjugation systems and bacteriophages. The project builds on studying Type IV secretion systems and bacteriophage biology.

The appointed researcher will primarily use cryo‑electron microscopy (cryo‑EM) to study the structural mechanisms of gene transfer systems. The work will involve:

• Protein expression and purification
• Structural analysis of macromolecular complexes
• Cryo‑EM grid preparation and imaging
• Single‑particle analysis (SPA) data acquisition and processing

• PhD in structural biology or a related discipline
• Expertise in cryo‑electron microscopy
• Experience in protein biochemistry and molecular biology
• Demonstrated ability to perform end‑to‑end protein structure determination workflows
• Experience in single‑particle cryo‑EM data acquisition and processing
• At least one first‑author publication in an international peer‑reviewed journal or preprint

For more phage‑related Research Associate opportunities, check here