Research Associate focused on the structural biology of bacterial secretion systems

Job number

MED05498

Faculties

Faculty of Medicine

Departments

Department of Infectious Disease

Salary or Salary range

£49,017 - £57,472 per annum

Location/campus

South Kensington Campus - On site only

Contract type work pattern

Full time - Fixed term

Posting End Date

10 Dec 2025

About the role

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated structural biologist to join the group of Prof Harry Low, Department of Infectious Disease ). The research project focuses on determining the molecular mechanism of bacterial secretion systems including the Tad and Type 4 pilus systems. The position is funded by an 8 year Wellcome Trust Discovery award.

What you would be doing

• You will be leading your own project working from initial clones through to protein purification, structure determination and biochemical/biophysical mechanistic dissection.
• You will be working on challenging multi-component membrane complexes both in-vitro and in-cell. Specific methodology will include a range of structural biology techniques including cryo-electron microscopy (SPA and tomography), and TIRF microscopy combined with single molecule FRET to probe protein dynamics.

What we are looking for

• You will have PhD in structural biology, either cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography or NMR.

• Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £43,863 - £47,223 per annum.

• Experience in the design and execution of workflow for structure determination of proteins, from molecular biology/biochemical experiments (e.g. DNA cloning and mutagenesis, protein purification) through to structural data collection, processing and model building is expected.

• Experience in cryo-EM workflows including sample preparation, data collection and processing is essential. Experience in light microscopy studies is desirable.
• You must have a strong research track record demonstrated by at least one first author publication in an international journal or bioRxiv.

What we can offer you

• An inclusive, friendly but ambitious lab environment that aims to support you in your mission to make important discoveries and generate world class publications.
• A well-funded lab underpinned by world class facilities.
• Opportunities to attend national and international conferences to showcase your work and grow your academic network.
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.

• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial's sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.

• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year and generous pension schemes).

• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

This is a full time, fixed-term contract for 36 months . This role will be based at the South Kensington campus primarily. Collaborative work with Prof David Rueda (TIRF/single molecule FRET) will be undertaken at MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) within Imperial's Hammersmith campus.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Prof Harry Low –

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world's toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you'll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you'll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.

Our values are at the root of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.

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