Main Purpose of the Job

Postdoctoral Researchers work with limited supervision to carry out individual and collaborative research projects relevant to the overall needs of the research programme.

Streptomyces specialised metabolites form the basis of two thirds of clinically used antibiotics but only 3% of the specialised metabolite pathways encoded in their genomes have been matched to molecules. The majority are “silent” which means they can be identified in genome sequences, but they are not expressed under standard laboratory growth conditions. Streptomyces bacteria have also been found to contain “cryptic” biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) which cannot be predicted by similarity search-based tools such as antiSMASH and likely encode new molecules. Regulation of silent and cryptic gene clusters is complex and multilevel, and this makes it extremely challenging to understand.

We are taking a high-level approach to activate multiple silent and cryptic gene clusters in Streptomyces bacteria through the manipulation of global regulators that are highly conserved. The project will focus on a family of highly conserved transcription factors which appear to be at or near the top of a hierarchy of regulators that coordinate the lifecycle of Streptomyces with specialised metabolism: our preliminary data show that manipulation of these TFs actives the expression of multiple silent and cryptic BGCs in Streptomyces venezuelae, leading to the production of new molecules.

The successful candidate will isolate and structurally characterise new specialised metabolites produced by a panel of engineered Streptomyces strains and link them to BGCs. Building on these data you will delineate the biosynthesis of the new molecules and investigate their bioactivity in a range of biochemical and cellular assays.

Key Relationships

Barrie Wilkinson (line manager), Matt Hutchings (CoI), Wilkinson & Hutchings group members (especially PDRA in Hutchings lab working on this project), and, as necessary, other researchers, research support staff and students across the Institute

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Identify, plan, carry out and modify experiments to meet the objectives of the project

60

Prepare results, reports and manuscripts for publication in leading scientific journals and other relevant media

10

Collaborate with colleagues within the Institute in the development of original and world-class research, including contributing to research proposals and grant applications

10

As agreed with the line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the post, for example, contributing to the work of Institute committees

5

Contribute to the smooth running of the group, including the effective use of resources, supervision of visitors to the laboratory and assisting with training others, encouraging scientific excellence

5

Continually strive for excellence, seeking out and acting on feedback and relevant learning and development opportunities

5

Disseminate research findings through presentations to various audiences at internal, national and international meetings

5

As agreed with line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the role

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

BSc or equivalent in Chemistry

Essential

PhD (full award or expected within 6 months) or equivalent in Natural Products or Biological Chemistry

Essential

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

In-depth knowledge of natural products chemistry and structure elucidation

Essential

Use of NMR for complex structure determination

Essential

Use of MS for complex structure determination

Essential

Metabolomics and molecular networking

Essential

Experience in delineating natural product biosynthetic pathways

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Experience of oral research presentations

Essential

Proven record in scientific writing

Essential

Demonstrated ability to perform research and develop novel ideas in natural products chemistry

Essential

Demonstrated ability to isolate and characterise small amounts of new compounds

Essential

Experience of supervising, training and mentoring visitors and students

Desirable

Preparing data / information for manuscripts and grant proposals

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders

Essential

Ability to follow instructions/Standard Operating Procedures

Essential

Demonstrated ability to work independently, using initiative and applying problem solving skills

Essential

Excellent time management and organisational skills

Essential

Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, including the ability to present complex information with clarity

Essential

Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work as part of a team

Essential

Promotes and strives for continuous improvement

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Ability to undertake occasional travel (national and international) related to collaborations and/or seminars (reasonable adjustments will be considered).

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the Institute, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Attention to detail

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

John Innes Centre

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial genetics, carrying out fundamental and strategic research, to train scientists and making our findings available to society.

Our research makes use of a wide range of disciplines in the biological and chemical sciences including; cell biology, biochemistry, chemistry, genetics and molecular biology.

For more information about working at the John Innes Centre, please click here.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive working environment for all. We have a diverse and multicultural scientific community and thrive on our European and international links, appointing staff from across the world. Any candidate who would like further information on current or anticipated immigration requirements can contact the HR Team on +44 (0)1603 450888 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk.

We are proud to hold a prestigious Athena SWAN Gold award, recognising the impact of our work in promoting gender equality in science. We are also a proud member of the Stonewall Diversity Champion’s programme, a founding signatory of the Tecnician Commitment and, as a Disability Confident employer, guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852), limited by guarantee (registered in England No. 511709).

Department

Molecular Microbiology

Our holistic approach integrates cellular physiology, molecular genetics (including functional genomics), biochemistry and structural biology. In the Department of Molecular Microbiology we study bacterial metabolism, physiology, gene regulation and development, and plant-bacterial interactions. Major themes of our work on Gram-negative bacteria are the molecular basis of signal transduction in response to various environmental signals and studies on the biology of ammonia channel proteins which are conserved in all domains of life.

The Department's comprehensive Streptomyces programme, studying antibiotic production, morphological differentiation and stress responses, is underpinned by the newly-acquired genome sequence of the model species S. coelicolor, and cutting-edge techniques in functional genomics. Another major research area is the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis where our studies range from bacterial quorum-sensing and plant-bacterial signalling interactions to the developmental responses of plants to their microbial symbionts.

The Department capitalises on the John Innes Centre's emerging strengths in functional genomics, structural biology and advanced cytological techniques, as well as exploiting novel links between research on bacterial and plant processes.

Group Details

We are an inter-disciplinary team that includes chemists, biochemists and micro/molecular biologists who work on the discovery, biosynthesis, and biosynthetic engineering of microbial specialised metabolites, and on understanding the role these metabolites play in the environment. We focus on anti-infective molecules and additionally study their molecular targets & mechanisms of action, and the immunity mechanisms employed by their producer organisms.

Living in Norfolk

• Visit Norfolk
• Schools in Norfolk
• Childcare in Norfolk

Postdoctoral Researcher

Salary:            £39,000 - £42,150 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. A starting salary of £40,100 is guaranteed for candidates who can evidence their PhD certificate on appointment.
Contract:        36 months, full-time
Location:        John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
Closing date: 26 October 2026
Reference:     1006209

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Wilkinson Group at the John Innes Centre, working in collaboration with the Hutchings lab, on a project titled: Global activation of silent and cryptic biosynthetic pathways in Streptomyces species.

About the John Innes Centre:
The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally. 

Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre.

About the Wilkinson Group:
We are an inter-disciplinary team that includes chemists, biochemists and micro/molecular biologists who work on the discovery, biosynthesis, and biosynthetic engineering of microbial specialised metabolites, and on understanding the role these metabolites play in the environment. We focus on anti-infective molecules and additionally study their molecular targets & mechanisms of action, and the immunity mechanisms employed by their producer organisms.

Project background: Streptomyces specialised metabolites form the basis of two thirds of clinically used antibiotics but only 3% of the specialised metabolite pathways encoded in their genomes have been matched to molecules. The majority are “silent” which means they can be identified in genome sequences, but they are not expressed under standard laboratory growth conditions. Streptomyces bacteria have also been found to contain “cryptic” biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) which cannot be predicted by similarity search-based tools such as antiSMASH and likely encode new molecules. Regulation of silent and cryptic gene clusters is complex and multilevel, and this makes it extremely challenging to understand.

The project: We are taking a high-level approach to activate multiple silent and cryptic gene clusters in Streptomyces bacteria through the manipulation of global regulators that are highly conserved. The project will focus on a family of highly conserved transcription factors which appear to be at or near the top of a hierarchy of regulators that coordinate the lifecycle of Streptomyces with specialised metabolism: our preliminary data show that manipulation of these TFs actives the expression of multiple silent and cryptic BGCs in Streptomyces venezuelae, leading to the production of new molecules.

The role:
The successful candidate will isolate and structurally characterise new specialised metabolites produced by a panel of engineered Streptomyces strains and link them to BGCs. Building on these data you will delineate the biosynthesis of the new molecules and investigate their bioactivity in a range of biochemical and cellular assays.

The ideal candidate:
You will have a PhD in Natural Products Chemistry with in-depth knowledge of natural product isolation and structure elucidation, especially when working with small quantities of material, and of metabolomics and molecular networking.

You will have a proven ability to perform research and develop novel ideas in natural products chemistry and discovery. Experience in delineating natural product biosynthetic pathways and a proven record in scientific writing are highly desirable.

Additional information:

A starting salary of £40,100 is guaranteed for candidates who can evidence their PhD certificate at appointment. Candidates awaiting confirmation of their PhD award will be appointed at £39,000 until evidence is provided.

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. 

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.&a