About the role
You will join a Blood Cancer UK-funded project, to further understand mechanisms underlying the activation of cancer signalling pathways by tyrosine fusion kinases in Leukaemia, and their regulation by the HSP90 molecular chaperone system. As a research assistant, you will carry out large-scale recombinant protein production to support the structural biology (X-ray crystallography and cryoEM) aspects of this project and perform subsequent biochemical and biophysical assays to probe assembly and activity of fusion kinases and their interactions with the molecular chaperone system, with the aim of probing new allosteric approaches to inhibit fusion kinase function.
Based in the School of Life Sciences, the Genome Damage and Stability Centre, a university Centre of Excellence (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/gdsc/), is an internationally renowned institute carrying out research on the response of cells to DNA damage, genome instability and its relationship to disease. We provide a stimulating and supportive environment and our expertise covers a range of experimental systems. The successful candidate will also be supported to develop further technical and career development skills.
About you
This project is suitable for a candidate who has completed a BSc (and preferably a MSc) degree in Structural biology, Biochemistry, Molecular biology or related areas and has an interest in the cancer signalling or molecular chaperone fields. You will have hands-on experience of large-scale recombinant protein expression in bacterial or insect cells and subsequent large-scale protein purification techniques. Additional practical experience in biochemical and/or biophysical assays to study protein-protein interactions and enzymatic activity would be advantageous.
You will work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary research team and wider network of academic and clinical collaborators, actively participating in scientific discussions and contributing to dissemination of the research. Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential.
The successful candidate will bring the enthusiasm, initiative, and organisational skills needed to drive the project forward, while contributing to a supportive, inclusive research environment.
About our School
In the School of Life Sciences we strive to understand the mechanisms that drive biological and chemical processes and to develop innovative and diverse approaches to enhance human health, technology and the environment. We undertake multidisciplinary research, teaching and engagement across a wide range of subjects, from Chemistry through Cellular and Molecular Biosciences to Conservation Biology.
The School comprises five Departments: Biochemistry & Biomedicine, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Neuroscience, Ecology & Evolution and Chemistry. We also house the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre which works to deliver the bench-to-bedside translation of our discoveries. The breadth and depth of our cutting-edge research and innovative teaching practice is delivered by a diverse community who work across boundaries to deliver excellence, engage with real world problems and produce impact.
We pride ourselves on our world-leading research and have a strong research economy, with approximately 50% of our income stemming from research and an active grant portfolio of over £50 million. We host or form part of three University Centres of Excellence: the Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Sussex Neuroscience and Sussex Sustainability Research Programme. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, 90.6% of our Biological Sciences outputs and 84.8% of our Chemistry outputs were rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. We are proud that in both areas, 100% of our Impact cases were rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
The School is committed to the University's core values of kindness, integrity, inclusion, collaboration and courage. We believe that equality, diversity and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility and aim to provide a friendly and supportive environment for all who work, study and visit the School of Life Sciences.
Please find further information regarding the School of Life Sciences on our website.
The School of Life Sciences is proud to hold a Silver Athena Swan Award.
Why work here
Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.
Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it\'s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.
Find out more about our reward and benefits package.
Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion
Further Key Information
Please contact Dr Jasmeen Oberoi (j.oberoi@susssex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries.
Please include a full CV with the application.
For full details and how to apply see our vacancies page.
The University is committed to equality and valuing diversity, and applications are particularly welcomed from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM) at Sussex.
Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.
The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.
Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role may be eligible for sponsorship. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.
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