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.

Key Relationships

Internal: Line manager, group members and, as necessary, other researchers, research support staff and students across the Institute. External: Collaborators

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

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

55

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

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

5

Ensure research and record keeping is carried out in accordance with good practice, Scientific Integrity and in compliance with local policies and any legal requirements

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

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

Liaise with industry and other external stakeholders

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

BSc or equivalent in Biology

Essential

PhD (full award or expected within 6 months) or equivalent in microbiology

Essential

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Culturing and genetic manipulation of bacteria

Essential

Studying multispecies communities

Desirable

Studying antibiotic production or resistance

Desirable

Genome editing bacteria

Desirable

Culturing and genetic manipulation of microbes

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Proven record in scientific writing

Essential

Experience of oral research presentations

Essential

Experience of supervising, training and mentoring visitors and students

Desirable

Preparing data / information for grant proposals

Desirable

Demonstrated ability to perform research and develop novel ideas in microbiology and evolution

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

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

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

Essential

Excellent time management and organisational skills

Essential

Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders

Essential

Ability to follow instructions/Standard Operating Procedures

Essential

Promotes and strives for continuous improvement

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

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

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

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Ability to undertake occasional travel (national and international) related to collaborations and/or seminars

Essential

Attention to detail

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

The Hutchings Group works on the specialised metabolites made by Streptomyces species and closely related actinomycete bacteria, which include more than half of all known antibiotics.

The Group is particularly interested in the chemical ecology of these bacteria and their natural products. For example, antibiotic-producing actinomycete bacteria interact with insects and plants and protect them against infection by pathogenic bacteria and fungi in return for food and housing. This is called a defensive mutualism (mutually beneficial symbiosis).

Understanding these interactions will help find new and useful natural products, including new antibiotics, and will also help protect important crop plants against disease.

Living in Norfolk

• Visit Norfolk
• Schools in Norfolk
• Childcare in Norfolk

Postdoctoral Researcher
Salary:               £39,000 - £46,500 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:         18 months, full-time
Location:         John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
Closing date: 1 November 2026
Reference:     1006227

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Hutchings Group at the John Innes Centre, working on cutting-edge science in the field of Molecular Microbiology.

About the Hutchings Group:
The Hutchings Group works on the specialised metabolites made by Streptomyces species and closely related actinomycete bacteria, which include more than half of all known antibiotics.

The Group is particularly interested in the chemical ecology of these bacteria and their natural products. For example, antibiotic-producing actinomycete bacteria interact with insects and plants and protect them against infection by pathogenic bacteria and fungi in return for food and housing. This is called a defensive mutualism (mutually beneficial symbiosis).

Understanding these interactions will help find new and useful natural products, including new antibiotics, and will also help protect important crop plants against disease.

The role:
Project background and challenge
Streptomyces bacteria are common soil microbes, but only a small proportion can colonise plant roots as endophytes. Some endophytic species are beneficial, promoting plant growth and protecting against disease, while a small number become pathogens through acquisition of a pathogenicity island (PAI). Our research has identified a major beneficial wheat endophyte clade closely related to the pathogen S. acidiscabies, but lacking the PAI. This raises the possibility that beneficial endophytes could evolve into pathogens if they acquire the PAI, which would have significant implications for the use of plant growth-promoting Streptomyces in agriculture.

Streptomyces pathogens cause common scab, a major disease of potatoes worldwide. Although the PAI is known to drive pathogenicity, not all species become pathogenic after acquiring it. We hypothesise that endophytes are particularly susceptible to this transition because they are already adapted to colonise plant tissues.

Aims and objectives: The project will investigate three endophytic wheat Streptomyces clades closely related to S. turgidiscabies, S. acidiscabies and S. canus. The successful candidate will use deep sequencing, microbiology and molecular approaches to test whether:

• Endophytes all confer plant-growth promoting properties. 
• The S.turgidiscabies endophyte clade is host dependent. 
• Endophytes make antifungal compounds to protect wheat against Take-all. 
• Endophytes are more likely to become pathogens after acquiring the PAI. 
• Disrupting the att site in endophyte genomes prevents them acquiring the PAI. 
• Deleting the S.acidiscabies PAI will convert it to a beneficial endophytic lifestyle

The ideal candidate:
You will have a PhD or equivalent in Microbiology or related discipline and a BSc or equivalent in Biology or Microbiology.

You will have in-depth knowledge of Streptomyces species and how to culture and genetically manipulate these bacteria. The successful candidate will also have the demonstrable ability to perform research and develop novel ideas, a proven record in scientific writing, and experience preparing data / information for grant proposals.

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. 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.