This is a fixed term post for 3 years.
Oxford Brookes University is seeking to recruit a PhD Fellowship (postgraduate research assistant) to work as a member of the AGILE consortium (Advanced Training for Next Generation Scientists in Spatio-Temporal Imaging of Plant Cells, www.msca-agile.eu) a new interdisciplinary Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Training Programme. The individual will be required to register for a PhD.
Background
Oxford Brookes University is one of 15 international partners in AGILE a newly established interdisciplinary Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Training Programme. AGILE is funded by the European Union under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101168870.
The project CONNECT-ER: Analysing the structure and molecular mechanism of the NE-ER interface in plants, will investigate the cellular architecture of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–nuclear envelope interface, and how heat stress reshapes nuclear envelope mechanics and nuclear pore complex architecture. This project addresses a fundamental question in cell biology: how cells structurally and mechanically adapt their nucleus to environmental stress?
The PhD Fellow will deploy advanced live-cell imaging, quantitative biophysics and high-resolution electron microscopy to visualise ER–NE architecture across spatial scales - from nanometre-resolution tomography to real-time dynamics in living cells. The work further includes detailed analysis of nuclear pore complex architecture using electron tomography and 3D serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, supported by advanced image analysis tools.
The role
You will be one of 15 PhD Fellows (postgraduate research assistant) within the network.
AGILE equips researchers with cutting-edge experimental and computational skills, along with advanced knowledge and problem-solving abilities, to tackle critical challenges in plant cell biology. You need to be willing to travel to various meetings and workshops that are part of the training package. The post will also involve two periods of secondment (of approximately 2 months’ duration to the Central Laser Facility Harwell, UK, and the Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Germany.
The work will be carried out within the Endomembrane Structure and Function Research Lab https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/hls/groups/endomembrane-structure-and-function) in the School of Biological and Medical Sciences and supervised by Prof Verena Kriechbaumer.
The candidate
You will register for a higher degree by research (PhD). The candidate will receive interdisciplinary training in advanced microscopy, quantitative image analysis and membrane biophysics, developing a highly competitive skillset at the interface of cell biology and quantitative science.
You should have:
* A BSc or MSc Biology or Biochemistry (minimum 2.1)
* Applicants must not have resided OR worked in the host country during the last three years (or less than 12 months).You must not have been awarded a doctoral degree.
* If you are a candidate where English is not your first language, an IELTS with an overall minimum score of between 7.0 and no score below 6.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking, issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre. If you also require a skilled worker visa please check the English Langauge requirement on the
* a willingness to travel and spend periods of time in partner institutions.
The exact salary will be determined by the rules of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network. The conditions of this programme, as outlined above, will apply to recruitment, salary and social benefits.
For further details please contact Prof Verena Kriechbaumer: vkriechbaumer@brookes.ac.uk. More information about the AGILE consortium can be found at www.msca-agile.eu
Application
Your application must be submitted electronically via www.msca-agile.eu. The application must include the following documents in one PDF document:
● a CV (1 page)
● a letter of motivation for the training programme and the selected IRPs (1 page)
● contact details of 2-3 reference persons
● degree certificate and grades for Bachelor and Master degree (majors and minors)
● Completed application form
Eligibility criteria:
1. Applicants must not have resided OR worked in the host country during the last three years (or less than 12 months).
2. Applicants must hold a master’s degree (obtained no later than September 2026).
Apply at until April 15th 2026