Research Technician

Description:

The overall aim is to apply new directed-evolution methods developed in Manchester University to rapidly evolve new traits in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplasts. This multidisciplinary project involves teams in Manchester, Edinburgh and UCL-London. The post involves assisting and working independently on research requiring recombinant DNA/molecular biology methods to clone, overexpress, purify and characterise mutator DNA polymerases using in vitro assays, which will then be tested in vivo in algal cells. The post requires attending consortium meetings, supporting staff/students, maintenance of lab stocks and strains, liaising with technical services e.g. to maintain equipment, knowledge and compliance of relevant Health and Safety regulations.

Essential Skills: Knowledge and experience of recombinant DNA methods: cloning DNA in Escherichia coli plasmid vectors, growth of bacteria for Induction and purification of overexpressed proteins. Molecular biology methods: PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing, SDS-PAGE and western blots.