Research Fellow (Postdoctoral) - School of Biosciences - 106589 - Grade 7

Job Description

Position Details

School of Biosciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £36,636

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2028

Closing date: 26 March 2026

UK travel may be required for this role

Background

The Plackett and Kettles labs at the University of Birmingham are seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with expertise in bioinformatics to undertake a 2-year project ‘Speed breeding technologies for UK broadleaved trees’ as part of the Defra-funded Centre for Forest Protection (CFP). This project is a UK-wide collaboration with Dr Abigail Johnson (Niab East Malling Research) and Prof Richard Buggs (Kew Royal Botanic Gardens). With this project we aim to identify whether it is possible to accelerate the maturation and flowering of three tree species (Oak, Ash and Silver Birch) through applying ‘speed breeding’ conditions ( https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-024-03300-x ) as a tool to enable future breeding programmes in these species to improve resistance to disease and environmental stress.

Role Summary

The Research Fellow will have responsibility for the analysis of samples taken from an ongoing speed-breeding experiment (managed by Dr Abigail Johnson, Niab-EMR). Using RNA-seq and pan-genomic analysis they will identify common gene networks underpinning responses to speed-breeding conditions across these three species; identify underlying genetic variation in candidate flowering genes in their respective genomes (in collaboration with Prof Richard Buggs, Kew RBG) and identify genetic loci within diverse Ash populations responsible for their being more or less responsive to speed breeding conditions. In addition to bioinformatic analysis the Research Fellow will ideally contribute in the wet-lab preparation of samples for next-generation sequencing.

The Research Fellow will be part of the project management team and participate in collaborative teams meetings with other project Institutions and quarterly review meetings with Defra, where they will have responsibility for the delivery of key project milestones.

The Research Fellow will play a key role in contributing to publications arising from this project and have the opportunity to engage with additional projects within the Plackett and Kettles groups.

Useful links:

Principal Investigators - Dr Andy Plackett and Dr Graeme Kettles ( https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/biosciences/plackett-andy )

( https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/biosciences/kettles-graeme )

School of Biosciences ( https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/biosciences/index.aspx )

Information on Birmingham ( https://visitbirmingham.com/ )

CFP project ( https://www.forestprotection.uk/project/cfp2511/ )

Main Duties

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be expected to:

• Undertake experimental work under the supervision of Dr Andrew Plackett and Dr Graeme Kettles to collect research data. This will be primarily be bioinformatic (dry lab) in nature but will also include supporting wet-lab duties such as RNA extraction.
• Manage their time to achieve key project milestones in data preparation, analysis and interpretation by specified dates to meet funder requirements.
• Analyse and interpret data.
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required. This will include contributing to the design of follow-on experiments to meet the research goals of the project, in collaboration with the wider project team.
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding based on the experimental data gathered.
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding.
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc.
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline.
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods.

Undertake management/administration arising from research.

Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration.

Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader.

Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters.

Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research.

Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines.

Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Candidates are required to hold the following qualifications:

• A Bachelors or Masters degree in a relevant STEM discipline (eg. Biological sciences, Data Science).
• A PhD (or near completion) in Bioinformatics, Plant Genomics or other related field appropriate to the goals of this project.
  
  

Experience

• Demonstrable prior experience in bioinformatic analysis of RNA-seq data using R or Python is essential.
• Prior experience successfully undertaking a research programme is essential.
• Past experience undertaking bioinformatic analysis of pan-genome data is desirable.
• Past wet-lab experience in the preparation of samples for RNA-seq analysis would be an advantage.
• Past experience in tree biology research would be an advantage.
• Ideally, the candidate will have demonstrated writing ability through previous publication(s) in high-quality journals, though this is not prerequisite.
  
  

Skills

Candidates will need to be able to demonstrate the following essential skills:

• Proficiency in bioinformatic analysis of large datasets, specifically in the areas of RNA-seq and/or pan-genomic analysis.
• Proficiency in the R or Python programming languages, familiarity in Bioconductor packages and Linux command line.
  
  

Informal enquiries to Andy Plackett, email: A.R.G.Plackett@bham.ac.uk

View our staff values and behaviours here

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone

on our website .