Research Associate in Fungal Molecular Biology, Engineering and Control

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We have an exciting opportunity to join the Johnston lab within the School of Medicine and Population Health. The role is part of a major new externally funded interdisciplinary programme led by Dr Thomas Paterson, bringing together bioengineering, microbiology, neuroscience and translational neurotechnology. The programme will explore whether engineered fungal networks can be developed as controllable bioelectronic interface materials. Current neural-interface technologies remain limited by trade-offs between surgical invasiveness, tissue compatibility, spatial coverage and long-term function.

Fungal networks offer a distinctive biological platform: soft, three-dimensional structures that can be grown, modified and tested as part of future bioelectronic interface systems. The appointed candidate will contribute to an ambitious research programme developing candidate fungal biointerfaces and evaluating them against clear safety, control and functional criteria as part of a large multidisciplinary team. You will lead the fungal engineering strand of the programme, developing candidate fungal chassis with properties required for controllable bioelectronic interface materials.

This will include fungal strain selection, culture and characterisation; reporter or labelled background strains; genome editing or other molecular approaches; strain validation; and reliable handover of candidate fungal materials to the safety and function work packages. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in filamentous fungi, fungal genetics, CRISPR/genome editing, molecular microbiology, reporter strain construction, fungal morphology or related synthetic biology approaches.

Experience with fungal systems would be valuable, but we welcome candidates with strong transferable expertise in microbial genetics and engineering. The role would suit a highly motivated researcher who can work independently while contributing to a large interdisciplinary programme. You will be expected to develop robust experimental workflows, work closely with colleagues across the biological and bioelectronic strands of the project, and contribute to publications, milestone reporting and future development of the platform.

• Design and generate engineered fungal candidates.
• Apply CRISPR/genome editing, reporter strain generation, molecular cloning, genotyping and validation methods as appropriate to the project.
• Characterise fungal growth, thermotolerance, morphology, branching, hyphal fusion/non-fusion, sporulation/propagule behaviour and rescue sensitivity.
• Develop and maintain a candidate fungal strain collection for bioelectronic interface testing.
• Develop or support assays for external growth arrest, auxotrophy/nutrient dependency and containment.
• Prepare standardised fungal candidate handoff packages for downstream biological and functional testing.
• Establish and maintain fungal culture, strain banking, recovery, passage and quality-control workflows.
• Maintain accurate records.
• Work closely with researchers in host compatibility and bioelectronic interface function.
• Assist with relevant research as directed by the project proposal in conjunction with other project members, to achieve the milestones and deliverables established in the project plan.
• Design, conduct, analyse and document experiments within your area of expertise.
• Maintain detailed, accurate and timely records of experimental procedures, results, data analyses and decisions.
• Work independently and alongside project partners to meet project objectives.
• Coordinate with other work packages to ensure candidate fungal materials are tested consistently across safety, control and functional assays.
• Contribute to candidate down selection, milestone evidence packs and progress reporting.
• Maintain equipment, software and supplies required for the project work.
• Follow mandatory Health and Safety policies and procedures, including COSHH, biosafety, GM requirements where applicable, and standard operating procedures.
• Liaise with the academic principal investigator and other academic co-investigators, collaborators and technical staff.
• Carry out strategic planning over the duration of the project in conjunction with other project members, including planning and scheduling of experimental work and resource requirements.
• Read academic papers, journals, books and professional literature to…