Senior) Laboratory Research Scientist

Reporting to:
Petr Znamenskiy, Group Leader

Contract term: This is a fixed term (36 months) position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Salary: From £37,735 with benefits, subject to skills and experience for LRS

From £47,080 with benefits, subject to skills and experience for SLRS

Final date to receive applications: 6th of September 2026 m

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher.

This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

The Znamenskiy lab studies the relationship between in vivo function, synaptic organization, and molecular identity of cortical neurons. Using the primary visual cortex as a model, we aim to understand how connections between neuronal cell types are organized and how this organization enables the computations they perform. To achieve this, we combine systems and molecular neuroscience approaches and develop new tools to relate gene expression and connectivity to neuronal activity.

Our current research focuses on how visual cortical circuits enable animals to interpret the three-dimensional structure of visual scenes.

Details of research projects currently being undertaken can be seen mlab.org.

We are looking for a collaborative, individual to support the lab's spatial transcriptomics pipeline using a custom-built in situ sequencing platform, helping to link in vivo function, gene expression and connectivity of cortical neurons.

Individual cortical neurons receive thousands of synaptic inputs and send long-range projections that often broadcast output to multiple target structures. How these connectivity patterns relate to the molecular makeup of individual cells remains poorly understood. To address this question, we combine high-throughput reconstruction of neuronal connectivity using molecular barcodes with single-neuron gene expression analysis through in situ sequencing.

Using custom-built in situ sequencing platforms, we measure the expression of hundreds of genes in intact tissue sections alongside viral barcodes, which are used to reconstruct synaptic connections and map projection patterns of individual neurons.

We welcome applications from candidates at different stages of their scientific career so this would be an excellent opportunity for recent graduates. Appointment can be made at either Laboratory Research Scientist or Senior Laboratory Research Scientist level, commensurate with experience and achievements. All training will be provided in house.

You will be:

• Preparing tissue for in situ sequencing
• Developing and optimising in situ sequencing protocols
• Ordering and maintain inventories of in situ sequencing reagents
• Developing custom gene panels for profiling cell identity and cell state in situ
• Collecting in situ sequencing data using a custom-built sequencing setup
• Conducting quality control and preliminary analysis on in situ sequencing data
• Maintaining and developing the sequencing setup
• Training other users in this lab and other labs in the collection and analysis of in situ sequencing data

You will have:

• A degree or equivalent experience (BSc / MSc for LRS, PhD for SLRS) in Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Bioengineering, or a closely related field*
• Hands‑on…