[Employment] Post of two job vacancies at Cranfield University - Antibody Assay Development for Detecting Life on Mars

[Cullen, David]

School of Cranfield Health, CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY, UK

TWO POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH / SENIOR TECHNICAL OFFICER POSTS

POST 1 - ANTIBODY ASSAY DEVELOPMENT FOR DETECTING LIFE ON MARS

and

POST 2 - ANTIBODY DEVELOPMENT FOR DETECTING LIFE ON MARS

The European Space Agency is developing a rover mission to Mars, called ExoMars - due for launch in 2013, with the primary objective of searching for signs of past and present life on Mars. Central to the mission is the ExoMars Pasteur Payload of instruments that currently includes an option for the Life Marker Chip (LMC) instrument. The LMC is a multiplexed immunoassay micro-array instrument designed to detect multiple biomarkers - organic molecular signatures of past or present Life - in the Martian environment.

Cranfield (Cranfield Health) and Leicester (Space Research Centre) universities are leading an international consortium that proposed the LMC instrument and who are now entering a rapid instrument development phase. Cranfield University's roles include the expansion of the number of suitable antibodies available for biomarker detection and to include the demonstration of their suitability for the ExoMars mission via standard immunoassay and their subsequent integration into assays within the LMC micro-array instrument platform. Cranfield Health is now seeking to expand its existing LMC team by the filling of a number of new posts.

We are seeking to recruit:

1 - A postdoctoral research / senior technical officer to join the antibody assay development team. The approach will involve the integration of antibodies against biomarker targets into a micro-fluidic, multiplexed immunoassay micro-array platform. This will include the demonstration of their validity for in situ biomarker detection within the ExoMars / LMC context.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD or a significant level of experience in a relevant subject (e.g. immunosensors, bio-analytical technology, or a related topic). The key skills required are practical experience of fabrication and use of antibody micro-array assay, micro-fluidics, and fluorescence optical readout technologies. The role will include liaising internally and externally with other members of the LMC consortium.

2 - A postdoctoral research / senior technical officer to join the antibody development team. The approach will include the use of third parties to develop polyclonal, monoclonal and recombinant antibodies against a variety of targets but with an emphasis on small molecule targets. The antibody development team will liaise with a chemist for production of hapten derivatives and an assay development team.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD or a significant level of experience in a relevant subject (e.g. biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology or a related topic). The key skills required are antibody development and familiarity with their use in immunoassays. Previous experience of antibody development is therefore essential.

This project is funded by the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council and the European Space Agency.

The starting salary, on current pay scales for both posts is around £26,700 per annum (Level 5). Employment will be on a fixed term contract, with an anticipated start date on or before 31st January 2008. The initial contract is for 24 months.

To express an interest in this opportunity, or for more information, please email Dr David Cullen (d.cullen from cranfield.ac.uk)