Postdoctoral Researcher

Organisation/Company John Innes Centre Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Postdoc Positions Final date to receive applications 10 Feb 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/London) Country United Kingdom Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

About the John Innes Centre:

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity‑led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet , sets out our ambitious long‑term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally.

We are a curious, enthusiastic, and innovative research group exploring the diversity of pathogen infection and plant immune processes underpinning host‑microbe interactions across the green lineage. Using comparative macroevolutionary and molecular genetic approaches, our group explores widely‑distributed and lineage‑specific aspects of immunity & infection that will inform future efforts to protect plants from harmful pathogens.

The role:

Working as part of a team led by Phil Carella, you will perform key experiments aimed at identifying and understanding virulence processes enabling broad host infection of Pseudomonas phytopathogens indivergent land plants like the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. The role will provide you with a broad range of stimulating activities, including:

• Evolutionary and molecular dissection of virulence mechanisms (effectors and toxins)
• Molecular microbiology approaches to genetically manipulate virulence and other key Pseudomonas traits
• Experience with a wide range of plant and microbial techniques including genetics, biochemistry, and computational approaches.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in the emerging field of Evo-MPMI (evolutionary molecular plant‑microbe interactions). You will also work with world leading scientists who are experts in their field.

The ideal candidate:

You will have aPh Din Molecular  Microbiology, Plant Biology and/or Biochemistry. You will have in-depth knowledge of microbial virulence strategies, a general understanding of evolutionary plant‑pathogen interactions, and demonstrable experience in molecular biology/microbiology.

This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Where the successful applicant requires a visa, we will fund the costs for their visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge. Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options.

We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity. As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace.

The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant‑aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.