Postdoctoral Research Officer in Environmental

Applications are invited for the above full-time post working in the College of Natural Sciences with the post based in the School of Natural Sciences. The appointee will report directly to the academics at Bangor University and liaise with the other partner organisations (e.g. CEFAS) to undertake collaborative experiments as and when required. Duties will mainly involve the design and implementation of experiments, sample analysis, data analysis, report writing etc.

Recent evidence suggests that coastal water quality across Wales is increasingly under threat due to pollution from human wastewater and climate change. We are seeking to recruit a full-time postdoctoral researcher (PDRA) with a strong track record in molecular microbiology, preferably with experience in water quality or public health. The post is full time and runs for 15 months. The post forms part of the project entitled “Evaluating the risk posed by Norovirus and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Welsh coastal waters and subsequent human exposure” which is funded by the Food Standards Agency under the national PATH-SAFE programme. The PDRA will have 2 research technicians to support them in both the laboratory and field.

Specifically, this project aims to address the critical need to develop effective ways to track the human pathogenic virus, Norovirus, and bacterial anti-microbial resistance genes within freshwater and coastal environments. As centres of disease care and antibiotic use, it has been hypothesised that wastewater release from hospitals and healthcare facilities may represent a hot-spot of AMR release into the environment, particularly in urban coastal regions. Here we will critically examine the influence of hospitals and healthcare facilities on the dispersal of these agents in the environment.

This research will be used to answer fundamental questions about the temporal and spatial dynamics of viral and AMR flow, behaviour and persistence. This knowledge will be used by the research team to validate mathematical models capable of predicting viral movement through the river network and coastal zone. Combined, this information will be used with key stakeholders (e.g. Food Standards Agency, Environment Agency, UK and Welsh Government, water industries) in the implementation of new methods and guidelines for monitoring coastal water quality and protecting human health. The project is being led by Bangor University (Prof. Davey Jones).

Applications will also be considered to carry out this role on a part-time or job share basis. However, the sum of the part time/job share contracts must equal 1 FTE.

Committed To Equal Opportunities

Overview

College

School

The School of Natural Sciences conducts world-leading research and teaching across a diverse range of topics including zoology, biology, forestry, geography, agriculture and conservation. With Bangor University being based in stunning North Wales the school is the obvious choice for students and researchers interested in the natural world and environment. Alongside having the forests and mountains of Snowdonia, and the cliffs and sandy beaches of Anglesey on our doorstep, the School of Natural Sciences also boasts cutting-edge laboratories and analysis equipment, a botanic garden, research farm, animal care facilities, aquariums, growth rooms and greenhouses, and a natural history museum.

The Project

The project will involve a combination of fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Samples will be collected from the North Wales coastal region and brought back to the national high-throughput wastewater surveillance lab which is based in Bangor University and funded through Welsh Government. The Postdoctoral Research Scientist will be responsible for overseeing the research work, designing the sampling programme, undertaking the molecular analysis work and writing up the data in the form of scientific journal papers. The molecular work is expected to involve a combination of qPCR and sequencing.

The successful applicant will be based in the School of Natural Sciences at Bangor University and suitable IT equipment will be provided. The majority of the molecular laboratory work will be performed in newly refurbished laboratories within the Brambell Building located on the main campus.

Purpose of the Job

This is a 15-month Postdoctoral Research Officer position, funded by the Food Standards Agency Path-Safe Programme. The research focuses on the quantification of Norovirus and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and other chemicals in water, focused on freshwater and coastal sites along the North Wales coast. Specifically, this post will be part of the wider national PATH-SAFE programme with the broad aim of monitoring human pathogenic viruses and AMR gene flow in the UK. This aims to characterise the main reservoirs and flows of viral pathogens and AMR genes which will enable better surveillance and protection of public health. The project is being led by Bangor Univer