Research Assistant

at  Kings College London

Job id: 099885. Salary: £38,232 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.
Posted: 14 November 2024. Closing date: 21 November 2024.
Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: Randall Cell & Molecular Biophysics.
Contact details: Dr. Angika Basant. angika.basant@kcl.ac.uk
Location: Guy’s Campus. Category: Research.
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About Us
The Basant group, funded by a grant from the Wellcome Trust, seeks to understand how tyrosine phosphatases regulate cell signalling. This large family of enzymes has been highly understudied compared to its kinase counterpart. We investigate these phosphatases in the context of signalling to the actin cytoskeleton and in virus-infected cells.
About the role
This project will focus on the spatiotemporal regulation of the phosphatases which can bind membranes. Using CRISPR and RNAi-based approaches, we will replace these proteins in mammalian cell lines with truncated, mutant and fluorescently tagged variants and assay for localisation to the virus, cell membrane and the impact on actin dynamics. To identify interactors and substrates of PTPRA and PRL-2, we will use proximity-labelling and mass-spectrometry to identify host and viral, protein and lipidic interactors. Candidate interactions will be verified in cells by immunoprecipitation and co-labelling, and functionally tested in infected and uninfected cells.
A BSc in a relevant discipline is required. Benchwork experience in cell/molecular biology and effective science communication skills are essential.
This is a full time post, and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31/05/25.
About You
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• Undergraduate degree in the subject area of biomedical sciences with a focus on cell biology
• Benchwork experience in cell and molecular biology
• Excellent experimental skills and strong ability to lead project management
• An enthusiasm for the research questions being addressed in the lab
• Strong communication skills both in writing and for oral presentation
• Collegiality and ability to work well in a research team
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, learn new skills and troubleshoot technical problems
• Scientific rigor and integrity, and good practice in health and safety procedures

Downloading a copy of our Job Description
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