Research Assistant

Job ID: 027546

Salary: £35,366 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance 

Posted: 13-Jul-2021

Closing date: 10-Aug-2021

Business unit: Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences

Department: Centre for Host Microbiome Interactions Contact details: Dr David Moyes, 020 7188 8094 / david.moyes@kcl.ac.uk

Guy's Campus   Research    

Job description
The microbiome is a rich and diverse community that interacts with us closely in both health and disease. Increasing evidence suggests that the oral microbiome plays a significant role in the outcome of respiratory diseases. Composition of the microbiome is determined by several environmental factors, meaning there are significant ethnic variations. It has become apparent as the COVID pandemic has progressed that there is disparity in the susceptibility to COVID in different ethnicities in the UK.   
 
We seek to recruit an enthusiastic and highly motivated Research Assistant to join the Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions at King’s College London to work in the lab of David Moyes. This position will contribute to a UKRI-funded project investigating the mucosal immune responses and oral microbiome in South Asian populations both in the UK and in India. Based in the Functional Host-Microbiome Interactions group, the Research Assistant will be involved in liaising with a Research Dentist and processing patient samples for Flow cytometry, ELISA/Multiplex bead assays, and downstream multi-omics analysis (metagenomics and metabolomics).
 
The successful candidate will play a major role in liaising with the clinical team at Guy’s hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital and maintaining HTA records. They will be involved in nucleic acid extraction from different patient samples and preparation for next-generation sequencing of the oral microbiome as well as the metabolome, as well as Flow Cytometry analysis of immune cells and immunoassay analysis of patient samples.
 
This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 18 months
This is a full-time  post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

• Collecting/processing patient samples for downstream analysis 
• Nucleic acid extraction and preparation for next generation sequencing
• Immunoassay analysis of patient samples 
• Flow Cytometry analysis of patient samples 
• Preparing samples for metabolomics analysis 
• Liaising with the Guy’s Hospital clinical team  

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

• MSc or equivalent 
• Experience of working with patient samples
• Knowledge of nucleic acid extraction
• Experience of microbiome sample preparation
• Experience of cell culture
• Experience of real-time RT-PCR
• Experience of Luminex assays
• Knowledge of immunoassays
• Good computer skills
• Excellent planning skills
• Good numeracy skills
• Ability to learn techniques/skills
• Maintaining good records

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of Flow Cytometry
• Knowledge of metabolomic sample preparation
• Ability to train junior staff/students
• HTA registered