ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking to appoint a highly committed, motivated and creative scientist to join the Northumbria University phage research group, within the Dept of Applied Sciences. The researcher will join an active research team focused on phage associated alteration of bacterial species function and the impact on microbial community structure in preterm infants.

Working as part of multi-disciplinary teams, you will support the Principal Investigator in delivery of research activity in the role of bacteriophages in establishment of the preterm infant gut. To look at both phage associated alteration of bacterial species function and the impact on microbial community structure.

For further detail please see therole description.

The contract is fixed term until30th Sep 2026.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The successful candidate will join Professor Smith's busy phage research team of >8 scientists. His group focuses on early bacterial colonisation and infection of specific environmental niches that are modulated by bacteriophages either through removal of certain bacterial species by lytic, or the addition of new metabolic function by lysogenic phages. We use multiple omics and microbiological approaches to identify the evolution of the tripartite interaction of phages, bacterial host and environment/host.

ABOUT YOU

The researcher will join collaborations with researchers within the Northumbria Universities Microbiome Exploration and Microbial Biotechnology research peaks of excellence. These include computational biologists, microbial ecologists and synthetic biologists.

Applicants should hold a PhD, thesis pending or demonstrable specialist expert knowledge in bacteriophage biology and metagenomics or related subject. You should work well independently but become an important member of a multidisciplinary team. Excellent communication and organisation skills are essential.

Further information about the requirements of the role is available in theperson specification.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact

To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now'. Your application should include a covering letter and a CV.

ABOUT US

Northumbria University is a research-intensive university that unlocks potential for all. We change lives regionally, nationally, and internationally through education and research, tackling the global challenges of our age to transform society and the economy. Find out why we were namedTimes Higher Education's University of the Year in 2022andModern University of the Yearin The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.

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We are an on-campus organisation where colleagues work regular patterns of hours and on campus, with some flexibility on the timing of their hours and the location of their work in discussion with their manager. Our campus locations include our City and Coach Lane Campuses in Newcastle upon Tyne and our London campus.

Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our staff. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds bronze Athena Swan and Race Equality Charter awards in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender and race equality, we are a Disability Confident Leader and are participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the Euraxess initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers. The University has implemented a range of flexible working arrangements, and we are happy to explore candidate requirements as part of the recruitment process.

We are committed to keeping your data safe so it's important for you to know how we use any personal data you give us. For more detailed information, access ourPrivacy Policy.Are you an experienced Researcher with specialist skills in bacteriophage biology and genomics looking for an opportunity to join an established bacteriophage research group.