Feed aggregator

The ICT Apprentice will work as part of a small team in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology's IT facility. This is an exciting role and you will join to strengthen the IT capacity of the department reporting to the IT Manager. This team needs to support the highly diversified research and training needs of a world-leading department. The team delivers a full range of technical services, to circa 30 academic staff, 75 post-doctoral researchers, and 100 research students. The Department is part of the School of Technology and further details on the department can be found at : www.ceb.cam.ac.uk

You will provide technical support to a range of IT matters. The ability to work calmly under pressure is essential, excellent interpersonal skills, a good team player and strong work ethic are required. You will gain a Level 3 qualification via Firebrand Solutions (Support Technician route only) while you work with on the job training within the department and other University departments.

You will need a minimum of 5 GSCE's as part of the apprenticeship requirements. Your role will involve fault diagnosis, maintenance for both hardware and software, networking, data management and security.

Benefits of working at University of Cambridge include:

¿ Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;

¿ Generous annual leave allowance of 36 days paid leave inclusive of bank holidays for full time employees, pro rata'd for part time employees;

¿ Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family friendly schemes (e.g. workplace nurseries and salary exchange schemes for childcare);

¿ An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;

¿ Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;

The University is unable to issue sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa route for this role as it does not meet the minimum skill and/or salary requirement for this role.

TO APPLY: All applications for this vacancy are being handled by the training provider for this apprenticeship, Firebrand. Please follow this link to the national apprenticeship website to apply:

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC1000333850

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 18 months in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of August 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46800 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The ICT Apprentice will work as part of a small team in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology's IT facility. This is an exciting role and you will join to strengthen the IT capacity of the department reporting to the IT Manager. This team needs to support the highly diversified research and training needs of a world-leading department. The team delivers a full range of technical services, to circa 30 academic staff, 75 post-doctoral researchers, and 100 research students. The Department is part of the School of Technology and further details on the department can be found at : www.ceb.cam.ac.uk

You will provide technical support to a range of IT matters. The ability to work calmly under pressure is essential, excellent interpersonal skills, a good team player and strong work ethic are required. You will gain a Level 3 qualification via Firebrand Solutions (Support Technician route only) while you work with on the job training within the department and other University departments.

You will need a minimum of 5 GSCE's as part of the apprenticeship requirements. Your role will involve fault diagnosis, maintenance for both hardware and software, networking, data management and security.

Benefits of working at University of Cambridge include:

¿ Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;

¿ Generous annual leave allowance of 36 days paid leave inclusive of bank holidays for full time employees, pro rata'd for part time employees;

¿ Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family friendly schemes (e.g. workplace nurseries and salary exchange schemes for childcare);

¿ An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;

¿ Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;

The University is unable to issue sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa route for this role as it does not meet the minimum skill and/or salary requirement for this role.

TO APPLY: All applications for this vacancy are being handled by the training provider for this apprenticeship, Firebrand. Please follow this link to the national apprenticeship website to apply:

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC1000333850

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 18 months in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of August 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46800 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The ICT Apprentice will work as part of a small team in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology's IT facility. This is an exciting role and you will join to strengthen the IT capacity of the department reporting to the IT Manager. This team needs to support the highly diversified research and training needs of a world-leading department. The team delivers a full range of technical services, to circa 30 academic staff, 75 post-doctoral researchers, and 100 research students. The Department is part of the School of Technology and further details on the department can be found at : www.ceb.cam.ac.uk

You will provide technical support to a range of IT matters. The ability to work calmly under pressure is essential, excellent interpersonal skills, a good team player and strong work ethic are required. You will gain a Level 3 qualification via Firebrand Solutions (Support Technician route only) while you work with on the job training within the department and other University departments.

You will need a minimum of 5 GSCE's as part of the apprenticeship requirements. Your role will involve fault diagnosis, maintenance for both hardware and software, networking, data management and security.

Benefits of working at University of Cambridge include:

¿ Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;

¿ Generous annual leave allowance of 36 days paid leave inclusive of bank holidays for full time employees, pro rata'd for part time employees;

¿ Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family friendly schemes (e.g. workplace nurseries and salary exchange schemes for childcare);

¿ An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;

¿ Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;

The University is unable to issue sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa route for this role as it does not meet the minimum skill and/or salary requirement for this role.

TO APPLY: All applications for this vacancy are being handled by the training provider for this apprenticeship, Firebrand. Please follow this link to the national apprenticeship website to apply:

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC1000333850

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 18 months in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of August 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46800 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The ICT Apprentice will work as part of a small team in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology's IT facility. This is an exciting role and you will join to strengthen the IT capacity of the department reporting to the IT Manager. This team needs to support the highly diversified research and training needs of a world-leading department. The team delivers a full range of technical services, to circa 30 academic staff, 75 post-doctoral researchers, and 100 research students. The Department is part of the School of Technology and further details on the department can be found at : www.ceb.cam.ac.uk

You will provide technical support to a range of IT matters. The ability to work calmly under pressure is essential, excellent interpersonal skills, a good team player and strong work ethic are required. You will gain a Level 3 qualification via Firebrand Solutions (Support Technician route only) while you work with on the job training within the department and other University departments.

You will need a minimum of 5 GSCE's as part of the apprenticeship requirements. Your role will involve fault diagnosis, maintenance for both hardware and software, networking, data management and security.

Benefits of working at University of Cambridge include:

¿ Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;

¿ Generous annual leave allowance of 36 days paid leave inclusive of bank holidays for full time employees, pro rata'd for part time employees;

¿ Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family friendly schemes (e.g. workplace nurseries and salary exchange schemes for childcare);

¿ An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;

¿ Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;

The University is unable to issue sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa route for this role as it does not meet the minimum skill and/or salary requirement for this role.

TO APPLY: All applications for this vacancy are being handled by the training provider for this apprenticeship, Firebrand. Please follow this link to the national apprenticeship website to apply:

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC1000333850

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 18 months in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of August 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46795 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The ICT Apprentice will work as part of a small team in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology's IT facility. This is an exciting role and you will join to strengthen the IT capacity of the department reporting to the IT Manager. This team needs to support the highly diversified research and training needs of a world-leading department. The team delivers a full range of technical services, to circa 30 academic staff, 75 post-doctoral researchers, and 100 research students. The Department is part of the School of Technology and further details on the department can be found at : www.ceb.cam.ac.uk

You will provide technical support to a range of IT matters. The ability to work calmly under pressure is essential, excellent interpersonal skills, a good team player and strong work ethic are required. You will gain a Level 3 qualification via Firebrand Solutions (Support Technician route only) while you work with on the job training within the department and other University departments.

You will need a minimum of 5 GSCE's as part of the apprenticeship requirements. Your role will involve fault diagnosis, maintenance for both hardware and software, networking, data management and security.

Benefits of working at University of Cambridge include:

¿ Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;

¿ Generous annual leave allowance of 36 days paid leave inclusive of bank holidays for full time employees, pro rata'd for part time employees;

¿ Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family friendly schemes (e.g. workplace nurseries and salary exchange schemes for childcare);

¿ An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;

¿ Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;

The University is unable to issue sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa route for this role as it does not meet the minimum skill and/or salary requirement for this role.

TO APPLY: All applications for this vacancy are being handled by the training provider for this apprenticeship, Firebrand. Please follow this link to the national apprenticeship website to apply:

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC1000333850

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 18 months in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of August 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46795 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The ICT Apprentice will work as part of a small team in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology's IT facility. This is an exciting role and you will join to strengthen the IT capacity of the department reporting to the IT Manager. This team needs to support the highly diversified research and training needs of a world-leading department. The team delivers a full range of technical services, to circa 30 academic staff, 75 post-doctoral researchers, and 100 research students. The Department is part of the School of Technology and further details on the department can be found at : www.ceb.cam.ac.uk

You will provide technical support to a range of IT matters. The ability to work calmly under pressure is essential, excellent interpersonal skills, a good team player and strong work ethic are required. You will gain a Level 3 qualification via Firebrand Solutions (Support Technician route only) while you work with on the job training within the department and other University departments.

You will need a minimum of 5 GSCE's as part of the apprenticeship requirements. Your role will involve fault diagnosis, maintenance for both hardware and software, networking, data management and security.

Benefits of working at University of Cambridge include:

¿ Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;

¿ Generous annual leave allowance of 36 days paid leave inclusive of bank holidays for full time employees, pro rata'd for part time employees;

¿ Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family friendly schemes (e.g. workplace nurseries and salary exchange schemes for childcare);

¿ An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;

¿ Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;

The University is unable to issue sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa route for this role as it does not meet the minimum skill and/or salary requirement for this role.

TO APPLY: All applications for this vacancy are being handled by the training provider for this apprenticeship, Firebrand. Please follow this link to the national apprenticeship website to apply:

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC1000333850

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 18 months in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of August 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46795 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

An opportunity is available to join the BioElectronic Systems Technology group, led by Professor Róisín Owens at the University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, on a new project to develop an in vitro model of the gut-brain axis. This interdisciplinary research aims to enhance our understanding of the role of the microbiome in health and disease by integrating advanced 3D cell culture with electronic monitoring and stimulation technologies.

The human gut hosts over 100 trillion bacteria that are known to be essential for human health. Alterations in the microbiome have been linked with many disease phenotypes including colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease, obesity, diabetes as well as neuropathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), stress and anxiety. Animal studies remain one of the sole means of assessing the importance of microbiota on development and well-being, however the use of animals to study human systems is increasingly questioned due to ethics, cost and relevance concerns. The development of advanced in vitro models with microbiota has scarcely been demonstrated even though the important role of the microbiome appears unquestionable.

This post holder is primarily responsible for tissue culture support within the research group of Professor Róisín Owens, specifically within the context of the gut brain axis project. The principal activity will be to coordinate the cell culture activities of the group including maintaining cultures, freezing cells, making buffers and media, and maintaining stocks of laboratory supplies. A key aspect of the work involves generating physiologically relevant models using stem cells and organoids. As such, applicants should be comfortable with advanced culture techniques that go beyond conventional immortalised cell lines. In addition to cell maintenance, the technician will be expected to support and perform defined experimental work under the guidance of the Principal Investigator. The role requires familiarity with a broad range of biochemical and biological assays commonly used to characterise cells, including live-cell microscopy and standard analytical techniques in molecular and cell biology.

Candidates should have an HNC or equivalent in a biological subject together with significant experience in academic or commercial cell biology, molecular biology and microbiology laboratories. Applicants should be trained in cell culture and aseptic techniques, with an emphasis on stem cell and/or organoid culture, in addition to convectional biochemical assays.

The BioElectronic Systems Technology group is an interdisciplinary team made up of biologists, engineers, and materials scientists. The successful candidate will need to communicate effectively with colleagues, including Masters students, PhD students, and PDRAs who may be less experienced in cell culture, and should be confident working both independently and as part of a collaborative research environment.

Interviews are likely to be held on the week commencing on the 4th of August 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of July 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46559 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and independent Research Associate to join our growing research in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge.

The role holder will work on a project to develop a 3D in vitro model of the gastrointestinal tract. Physiologically relevant, multi-cellular models of gut are necessary to accurately model disease. We propose to develop a 3D model of the gut, to mimic gut function in a benchtop model. Advancing from our previous work in developing a 3D human model of the gut with integrated electronics, our aim in this project is to use organic electronic devices for continuous monitoring of gut health. The role holder will develop an augmented 3D in vitro model of human gut.

The role holder will collaborate with colleagues at the University in the Stem Cell Institute and the MRC toxicology unit. Significant amounts of time will be spent working with gut organoid cell cultures, growing and monitoring these cultures within the modules. The candidate will also be expected to assess the biological characteristics of the resulting system. The candidate will also work and collaborate in the fabrication of these devices, requiring an understanding of design and fabrication techniques for organic electronic device manufacturing.

Excellent writing and presentation skills are required, along with the ability to develop and drive research objectives.

Essential skills:

¿ Experience in microfluidics fabrication

¿ Significant experience in materials characterisation techniques (light microscopy, spectroscopy, electron microscopy, histology, biological assays) Experience with molecular biology techniques such as siRNA knockdowns, ELISA, western blot

¿ Imaging techniques such as confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy are essential

¿ Computational modelling of biological systems

¿ Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team

¿ Experience working with co-culture 3D models, specifically the gut/ intestine

¿ A self-starter, with a proactive approach to problem solving & ability to work under pressure to stringent external deadlines within a fast-paced environment is desired

¿ Significant experience in project management and mentorship of students

¿ To demonstrate ability to write reports, present results, work to deadlines and contribute to academic papers

¿ A high level of accuracy and attention to detail

More information on the role is available on the Further Particulars attached.

Interviews are likely to be held on the week commencing on the 4th of August 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 22nd of July 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46561 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

An opportunity is available to join the BioElectronic Systems Technology group, led by Professor Róisín Owens at the University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, on a new project to develop an in vitro model of the gut-brain axis. This interdisciplinary research aims to enhance our understanding of the role of the microbiome in health and disease by integrating advanced 3D cell culture with electronic monitoring and stimulation technologies.

The human gut hosts over 100 trillion bacteria that are known to be essential for human health. Alterations in the microbiome have been linked with many disease phenotypes including colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease, obesity, diabetes as well as neuropathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), stress and anxiety. Animal studies remain one of the sole means of assessing the importance of microbiota on development and well-being, however the use of animals to study human systems is increasingly questioned due to ethics, cost and relevance concerns. The development of advanced in vitro models with microbiota has scarcely been demonstrated even though the important role of the microbiome appears unquestionable.

This post holder is primarily responsible for tissue culture support within the research group of Professor Róisín Owens, specifically within the context of the gut brain axis project. The principal activity will be to coordinate the cell culture activities of the group including maintaining cultures, freezing cells, making buffers and media, and maintaining stocks of laboratory supplies. A key aspect of the work involves generating physiologically relevant models using stem cells and organoids. As such, applicants should be comfortable with advanced culture techniques that go beyond conventional immortalised cell lines. In addition to cell maintenance, the technician will be expected to support and perform defined experimental work under the guidance of the Principal Investigator. The role requires familiarity with a broad range of biochemical and biological assays commonly used to characterise cells, including live-cell microscopy and standard analytical techniques in molecular and cell biology.

Candidates should have an HNC or equivalent in a biological subject together with significant experience in academic or commercial cell biology, molecular biology and microbiology laboratories. Applicants should be trained in cell culture and aseptic techniques, with an emphasis on stem cell and/or organoid culture, in addition to convectional biochemical assays.

The BioElectronic Systems Technology group is an interdisciplinary team made up of biologists, engineers, and materials scientists. The successful candidate will need to communicate effectively with colleagues, including Masters students, PhD students, and PDRAs who may be less experienced in cell culture, and should be confident working both independently and as part of a collaborative research environment.

Interviews are likely to be held on the week commencing on the 4th of August 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of July 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46559 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and independent Research Associate to join our growing research in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge.

The role holder will work on a project to develop a 3D in vitro model of the gastrointestinal tract. Physiologically relevant, multi-cellular models of gut are necessary to accurately model disease. We propose to develop a 3D model of the gut, to mimic gut function in a benchtop model. Advancing from our previous work in developing a 3D human model of the gut with integrated electronics, our aim in this project is to use organic electronic devices for continuous monitoring of gut health. The role holder will develop an augmented 3D in vitro model of human gut.

The role holder will collaborate with colleagues at the University in the Stem Cell Institute and the MRC toxicology unit. Significant amounts of time will be spent working with gut organoid cell cultures, growing and monitoring these cultures within the modules. The candidate will also be expected to assess the biological characteristics of the resulting system. The candidate will also work and collaborate in the fabrication of these devices, requiring an understanding of design and fabrication techniques for organic electronic device manufacturing.

Excellent writing and presentation skills are required, along with the ability to develop and drive research objectives.

Essential skills:

¿ Experience in microfluidics fabrication

¿ Significant experience in materials characterisation techniques (light microscopy, spectroscopy, electron microscopy, histology, biological assays) Experience with molecular biology techniques such as siRNA knockdowns, ELISA, western blot

¿ Imaging techniques such as confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy are essential

¿ Computational modelling of biological systems

¿ Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team

¿ Experience working with co-culture 3D models, specifically the gut/ intestine

¿ A self-starter, with a proactive approach to problem solving & ability to work under pressure to stringent external deadlines within a fast-paced environment is desired

¿ Significant experience in project management and mentorship of students

¿ To demonstrate ability to write reports, present results, work to deadlines and contribute to academic papers

¿ A high level of accuracy and attention to detail

More information on the role is available on the Further Particulars attached.

Interviews are likely to be held on the week commencing on the 4th of August 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 22nd of July 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46561 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

An opportunity is available to join the BioElectronic Systems Technology group, led by Professor Róisín Owens at the University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, on a new project to develop an in vitro model of the gut-brain axis. This interdisciplinary research aims to enhance our understanding of the role of the microbiome in health and disease by integrating advanced 3D cell culture with electronic monitoring and stimulation technologies.

The human gut hosts over 100 trillion bacteria that are known to be essential for human health. Alterations in the microbiome have been linked with many disease phenotypes including colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease, obesity, diabetes as well as neuropathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), stress and anxiety. Animal studies remain one of the sole means of assessing the importance of microbiota on development and well-being, however the use of animals to study human systems is increasingly questioned due to ethics, cost and relevance concerns. The development of advanced in vitro models with microbiota has scarcely been demonstrated even though the important role of the microbiome appears unquestionable.

This post holder is primarily responsible for tissue culture support within the research group of Professor Róisín Owens, specifically within the context of the gut brain axis project. The principal activity will be to coordinate the cell culture activities of the group including maintaining cultures, freezing cells, making buffers and media, and maintaining stocks of laboratory supplies. A key aspect of the work involves generating physiologically relevant models using stem cells and organoids. As such, applicants should be comfortable with advanced culture techniques that go beyond conventional immortalised cell lines. In addition to cell maintenance, the technician will be expected to support and perform defined experimental work under the guidance of the Principal Investigator. The role requires familiarity with a broad range of biochemical and biological assays commonly used to characterise cells, including live-cell microscopy and standard analytical techniques in molecular and cell biology.

Candidates should have an HNC or equivalent in a biological subject together with significant experience in academic or commercial cell biology, molecular biology and microbiology laboratories. Applicants should be trained in cell culture and aseptic techniques, with an emphasis on stem cell and/or organoid culture, in addition to convectional biochemical assays.

The BioElectronic Systems Technology group is an interdisciplinary team made up of biologists, engineers, and materials scientists. The successful candidate will need to communicate effectively with colleagues, including Masters students, PhD students, and PDRAs who may be less experienced in cell culture, and should be confident working both independently and as part of a collaborative research environment.

Interviews are likely to be held on the week commencing on the 4th of August 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 29th of July 2025.

Please quote reference NQ46559 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Sci Adv. 2025 Jun 27;11(26):eadu3459. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adu3459. Epub 2025 Jun 27.

ABSTRACT

Applying mechanical strain and strain engineering to halide perovskites has endowed them with intriguing properties. However, an in-depth understanding of mechanical strain, including residual strain in halide perovskites, remains incomplete, coupled with the critical challenge of decoupling strain effects from other interferences. Here, we examine the relaxation of residual tensile strain in three-dimensional (3D) halide perovskites through 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction formation. The 2D perovskite induces structural fragmentation in 3D perovskites, facilitating plastic relaxation of tensile strain. By isolating extrinsic crystalline phase interference and exciton-related optical disturbances, we observe that 3D perovskites retain high crystallinity only with moderate tensile strain relaxation. This moderate relaxation enhances optoelectronic properties in 3D perovskites, including broadened band-to-band absorption and prolonged charge carrier lifetime, markedly contributing to an increase in the maximum attainable power conversion efficiency in photovoltaic devices. Our findings outline conditions for strain relaxation that optimize optoelectronic properties, advancing strain engineering in halide perovskites.

PMID:40577478 | PMC:PMC12204152 | DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adu3459

J Am Chem Soc. 2025 Jun 4;147(22):19073-19083. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5c04096. Epub 2025 May 27.

ABSTRACT

The utilization of molecular metal clusters as building units of noncovalent porous materials (NPMs) is a promising strategy, combining the versatile functionality of organic and inorganic subunits with the softness and flexibility of molecular solids controlled by noncovalent interactions. However, the development of robust porous functional frameworks based on self-assembly driven by noncovalent forces is still highly challenging. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a discrete decanuclear Ni(II) hydroxyquinolinato-carbonato cluster, [Ni10(μ6-CO3)4(L)12], which, depending on the crystallization conditions, self-assembles into either of two microporous frameworks: diamondoid WUT-1(Ni) and pyrite WUT-2(Ni). The transitions between both polymorphs can also be selectively triggered by temperature or exposure to vapors of a particular organic solvent, which is accompanied by the easy recovery of crystallinity by the materials from the noncrystalline phase. Moreover, both materials show excellent robustness toward various chemical environments, including air/moisture and water stability, and demonstrate interesting gas adsorption properties. Remarkably, WUT-1(Ni) exhibits significant enhancement in gas uptake compared to the previously reported isostructural Zn(II) analogue, WUT-1(Zn), representing one of the highest H2 uptakes among NPMs. In turn, tighter voids of the ultramicroporous WUT-2(Ni) framework facilitate selective interactions with gas molecules, resulting in outstanding selectivity in the adsorption of CO2 over CH4 and N2. The presented studies demonstrate the profound role of the character of metal centers on the self-assembly of isostructural nanoclusters as well as properties of the resulting microporous frameworks.

PMID:40421976 | PMC:PMC12147118 | DOI:10.1021/jacs.5c04096