Research Technician in Microbiome

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Salary: £32,722 to £33,662 with progression to £35,302 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 16 November 2026

We areseekingto appoint a highly motivated and enthusiastictechnicianto support our research on the microbiome in early life.

The successful candidate will carry out research as part of a widerteam working on optimising microbial therapy in preterm infants. This projectwill involve working with clinical samples including stool, urine, blood, tissue, and human milk, alongside lab-based microbiology, organoid tissue culture, molecular biology, and multi-omic data analysis.

Our research group aims to understand how the gut microbiome develops from birth in preterm infants, what factors influence this, and how this impacts health and disease. In doing so, we aim to translate these findingsintothe development of new biomarkers and treatments to improve health and outcomes in the babies.

You willbe responsible for maintaining the sample biobank and theday-to-day management of experimental work including making media,culturing bacteria, DNA extractions, PCR, and organoid culture maintenance. Additionally, there will be opportunities to support data analysis and results presentation (image production, oral presentations, and manuscript writing) from a range of research collaborations.

Reporting to the Institute Technical Manager team and Professor Christopher Stewart, the successful applicant will display an in-depth knowledge of technical or scientific practices, methods and procedures gained through either experience and/or formal qualification, and will deploy this knowledge to provide a range of technical support activities.

Duration of the post is full time, fixed term for 7 years.

• Perform microbiology and human primary cell line culture
• Perform molecular biology
• Support data analysis and manuscript drafting
• Contribute to the training and mentorship of students and other group members.
• Complete a range of routine and complex maintenance activities and repairs
• Liaise with suppliers and manufacturers to resolve both routine and complex problems and investigate replacement options
• Advise on equipment capabilities, demonstrating how results can be achieved
• By developing local procedures, establish and maintain a safe/compliant working environment
• Hold specific safety responsibilities relevant to the specialism
• Oversee compliance tasks ensuring timely completion and maintenance of appropriate records
• Maintain in-depth and up-to-date health and safety knowledge relevant to the specialist
• Assist with the completion and updating of a wide range of safety paperwork
• Schedule, prioritise and monitor work in line with demands and deadlines
• Hold delegated responsibility from the academic lead for the planning, operation and supervision of laboratory spaces occupied by the specialism
• Be a key contributor to specialism development, delivery and planning
• Contribute to and support change
• Manage one or more budgets monitoring resource usage
• Source and negotiate with suppliers for a range of items including specialist parts/equipment
• Create, update and implement procedures to deliver an aligned, efficient and effective service
• Prepare and manufacture specimens/samples requiring specialist skills with limited direction
• Manage equipment bookings, calculate charges/costs and assist with re-charging
• Design, develop and deliver inductions, demonstrations and training covering complex techniques and specialist equipment
• Assist managers with the identification of…