Research Assistant in Plant Biology

We are seeking a Research Assistant to join the Jarvis group at the Department of Biology to work on a new BBSRC project entitled "Resolving the structure and function of the plant chloroplast protein import machinery".
Chloroplasts in plants are built from thousands of different proteins. Most of these proteins are encoded by genes in the cell nucleus, and so are made outside of the organelle in the cellular matrix called the cytosol. Since chloroplasts are surrounded by a double membrane "envelope", sophisticated machinery is needed to import these proteins into the organelle. This machinery has two parts, called TOC and TIC, each being composed of several subunits that cooperate to drive protein import.
Our research group has a long track-record of studying chloroplast protein import mechanisms. In recent years, we uncovered how activity of the TOC translocon is regulated by a novel mechanism called CHLORAD; and we showed how such regulation is vital for diverse aspects of plant growth, including resilience to adverse environments and fruit ripening. However, while the regulation of protein import is well studied, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the translocons is only rudimentary.
This project aims to elucidate how the individual subunits are arranged within TOC machines, and how the translocons assemble with each other. Having such a detailed understanding of the translocons will help to finally resolve the chloroplast protein import mechanism. Moreover, greater understanding of chloroplast development and functions may offer applications in the future development of crops with improved photosynthetic performance, stress resilience, and yields.
If appointed, you will independently manage your own research within guidelines provided by senior colleagues, including accurate record keeping, and will contribute to wider project planning. You will determine the most appropriate methodologies to test hypotheses and identify suitable alternatives if technical problems arise.

You will possess a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to carry out the project work effectively. You will also have considerable relevant research experience in molecular biology and/or protein biochemistry. Experience of following and adapting protocols and selecting appropriate experimental methodologies is essential.