Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Human Pathogens and Plastic Pollution in Agriculture and Food Production Systems
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Employer: University of Stirling |
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Job location: Stirling UK |
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Apply before: 09 May 2022 |
Summary
Description of Duties
The appointee for the post “ The persistence and transfer of human pathogens associated with plastic pollution in agriculture and food production systems ” will undertake at least one field campaign in Africa and conduct a range of surveillance and manipulative exper......
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Description of Duties
The appointee for the post “ The persistence and transfer of human pathogens associated with plastic pollution in agriculture and food production systems ” will undertake at least one field campaign in Africa and conduct a range of surveillance and manipulative experiments to characterise microbial colonisation of plastics, and subsequent survival, and delivery to receptors via irrigation water, soil, and crops through agricultural and food production systems. This will be complemented by an extensive suite of manipulative experiments in Stirling in highly controlled conditions in our labs in the UK. Using V. cholerae , an attenuated strain of S. Typhi and pathogenic strains of E. coli , the candidate will quantify persistence dynamics of biofilm formation of these pathogens on experimentally defined plastics using crop species typical of African agricultural systems under environmental conditions relevant to sub-Saharan Africa, e.g., UV irradiance, temperature, desiccation.
The post is based in Stirling, but the successful candidate will be expected to conduct some fieldwork, research, data collection, bioinformatics analysis, project meetings, workshops, and paper writing in Africa at our partner institutes in Malawi and Tanzania.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
The successful applicant will be responsible for:
Leading fieldwork in Africa to collect surveillance data on colonisation dynamics of human pathogens on plastics in agricultural systems including their survival on the surfaces of crop plants
Managing field assistants and technical staff
Attending regular meetings and communication with the research team
Presenting findings at academic conferences and public engagement events (particularly in Africa)
Using traditional microbiological approaches to quantify colonisation of human pathogens on plastics in irrigation water, soil, and crops plants
Using molecular approaches to determine the diversity and persistence of bacteria attached to plastic particles
Developing microcosm systems to quantify colonisation dynamics of plastics by human pathogenic bacteria by using qRT-PCR and culture-dependent methods
Contributing to the intellectual development of the project, including analysing data
Taking the lead in writing scientific papers and publishing results in high-impact journals
Helping supervise undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students working on related research
Essential Criteria
PhD in a relevant discipline, such as environmental microbiology, plant pathology, molecular biology, biological sciences
Extensive experience of using microbiological techniques
Extensive experience of using standard molecular techniques (e.g. DNA extraction, molecular cloning techniques, PCR, qPCR, RT-PCR)
Evidence of experience with advanced molecular techniques (e.g. metagenomics)
Evidence of the ability to carry out a research project to its completion
Track record in publishing peer-reviewed papers proportional to the career stage of the applicant
Evidence of problem-solving capacity
Numerical skills
Experience in organising and conducting complex research projects
Evidence of excellent time management including ability to prioritise workload
Desirable Criteria
Experience of working in Africa or in another LMIC context
Experience in bioinformatics
Knowledge of the behaviour of human pathogens in the environment
Experience of working with microbial contaminants (Hazard group 2)
Knowledge of risk assessment approaches
Skills in statistical analysis
Experience in field work, and sample collection from urban environments
Driving licence
Skills & Attributes
Inventive and creative
Self-motivated
Able to communicate well both orally and in written form
Work collaboratively in a team
Able to conduct repetitive tasks precisely and carefully
Behaviours and Competencies
The role holder will be required to evidence that they can meet the qualities associated with the following behavioural competencies, as detailed within the AUA Competency Framework.
Managing self and personal skills Being aware of your own behaviour and mindful of how it impacts on others, enhancing personal skills to adapt professional practice accordingly.
Delivering excellent service Providing the best quality service to external and internal clients. Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to drive up service standards.
Finding solutions Taking a holistic view and working enthusiastically to analyse problems and to develop workable solutions. Identifying opportunities for innovation.
Embracing change Being open to and engaging with new ideas and ways of working. Adjusting to unfamiliar situations, shifting demands and changing roles.
Using resources effectively Identifying and making the most productive use of resources including people, time, information, networks and budgets.
Engaging with the wider context Enhancing your contribution to the organisation through an understanding of the bigger pictu
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