An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Whitewoods Group at the John Innes Centre, working on cutting-edge science in the field of Cell & Development Biology.

About the Whitewoods Group

The Whitewoods Group investigates how plants pattern their internal leaf structure, primarily using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system. They investigate how leaves form air spaces between cells, how photosynthetic cells acquire their identities, and how changes in light level modify these developmental processes to tune leaf structure to the environment.

The role

The successful candidate will investigate molecular mechanisms that control palisade and spongy mesophyll cell identity and how these link to leaf function. Candidates should have a background in plant science with a PhD degree in plant biology or related fields. Expertise in plant genetics is necessary, and experience with molecular biology, confocal microscopy or leaf physiology are also preferred, alongside a willingness and ability to learn and work with new methodologies and different species.

The ideal candidate

The successful applicant will be a strong team player, highly solution orientated and self-motivated. Excellent interpersonal skills are essential, alongside the ability to work independently and with others, with a high degree of accuracy including outstanding record keeping. Experience supervising students is also strongly preferred. There are many exciting avenues this project could take and it can be tailored to the interests of the successful candidate. The Whitewoods group is looking for someone with a strong sense of scientific curiosity and fun who is enthusiastic to contribute to a young lab as it grows. Strong communication skills are required to interact with group members and other researchers at John Innes Centre with different scientific backgrounds.

Additional information

The Whitewoods lab would like to encourage applications from individuals who wish to work flexibly or on a part time basis.

For further information and details of how to apply can be found here or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1006119.

This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Where the successful applicant requires a visa, we will fund the costs for their visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge. Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options.

We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity.  As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

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