Research Fellow in Environmental Sensors

Overview

We welcome applications from a Research Fellow with a strong passion for and experience in biosensing, microfluidics, microbiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The successful candidate will join our Advanced Sensors team and contribute to the One Health Environmental Sensing project, which focuses on the development of novel sensors to enhance the understanding of multi-drug resistance and track antimicrobial resistance using a One Health approach.

The postholder’s primary responsibility is to conduct cutting-edge research on environmental sensor development for monitoring pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes, utilising state-of-the-art facilities in the Advanced Sensors Laboratory at Cranfield University. This will involve cutting-edge tools, including CRISPR/Cas diagnostics, paper-based microfluidics, high-throughput single-cell analysis using droplet-based microfluidics, in collaboration with Harvard University and industrial partners. The successful candidate will be working with Professors Zhugen Yang and Frederic Coulon in Cranfield, and they are likely to be seconded to a partner University for collaborative study, subject to progress.

Cranfield University has a proud reputation for its research on the science, engineering and management of water, and we have been driving innovation for over 40 years. You will contribute a major UKRI-funded programme, tackling one of the most urgent global health challenges. The successful candidate will join a vibrant, interdisciplinary collaboration bringing together leading expertise in biosensing, microfluidics, microbiology, and environmental health.

You will contribute to the delivery of Cranfield University’s research portfolio in the Advanced Sensors Laboratory for Water-Environment-Health, led by Professor Zhugen Yang.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a transformative UKRI-funded research programme addressing one of the most pressing global health challenges, in collaboration with leading experts in the areas of biosensing and microfluidics, microbiology, and environmental health.

You will hold a doctoral degree (or be near completion) in biosensing, microfluidics, environmental science, microbiology or a related discipline. You will have demonstrable experience with experimental skill sets, including sensor development, wastewater surveillance, or reverse inference modelling for source tracking. You will bring laboratory expertise in designing experiments, handling advanced instruments, and troubleshooting. Collaboration and mentoring within interdisciplinary teams are also desirable.

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here. The group has received national and international acclaim, including coverage in Science, BBC News, and The Washington Post for its research on wastewater monitoring and origami-based paper sensors.

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do:
Ambition;
Impact;
Respect; and Community. Find out more here. We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families.

Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here.

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Professor Zhugen Yang, Professor of Biosensing and Environmental Health, on (T): or (E):  Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on E: peopl Please quote reference number 5183. Closing date for receipt of applications: 3 February 2026. Please note that we reserve the right to close this advert prior to the stated closing date should we receive sufficient numbers of applications.

Therefore, we would encourage you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.