Research Assistant/Associate Bacteria

Salary: 

Research Assistant: £33,002 to £34,610 per annum

Research Associate:  £35,608 to  £38,784 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 09 February 2026

The Role

Are you looking for an exciting postdoctoral position to conduct cutting-edge research on bacterial bioenergetics and membrane biology? In the advertised role, you would join a BBSRC-funded interdisciplinary research project that brings together the teams of Henrik Strahl (Newcastle University) and Nadav Amdursky (University of Sheffield) to study how bacterial proton motive force (PMF) is transmitted between PMF-generating and consuming cellular machineries.

As part of this interdisciplinary team, your work will focus on modulating membrane lipid and protein composition in vivo and monitoring related cellular bioenergetic parameters, including transmembrane electric potential, H+ gradient, and cellular ATP levels, using advanced single-cell techniques. The research will be carried out on the highly tractable Gram+ model organism Bacillus subtilis. A background in bacterial membrane biology and bioenergetics would position you well to collaboratively carry out the planned research programme.

You will join Henrik Strahl's group at the Centre of Bacterial Cell Biology (CBCB), a world-class research centre at Newcastle University, focused on the molecular and cellular biology of bacteria. As a member of CBCB and the cross-university research project, this appointment will give you valuable experience in modern interdisciplinary team science. Prior experience in collaborative research is seen as an advantage.

This interdisciplinary project leverages a novel, environmentally sensitive fluorescent probe to investigate fundamental biophysical mechanisms that underpin cellular bioenergetics. The new probe enables unprecedented direct monitoring of proton transfer and diffusion at the bacterial membrane surface, which is essential for coupling PMF-generating cellular machineries such as the respiratory chain to PMF-driven processes, including ATP synthesis, motility, nutrient uptake, and antibiotic efflux. The primary aim of this project is to investigate how membrane lipid composition and physicochemical properties, such as membrane fluidity and lipid domain formation, regulate PMF-dependent processes vital to bacterial cell function. By focusing on ATP synthase as a model PMF-driven system, this research will clarify how bacteria direct respiration-derived protons towards ATP synthesis, a key open question in bacterial bioenergetics.

The project thus focuses on one of the most fundamental biological processes: energy conversion at the cellular level and coupling between the associated cellular machineries. The project also explores the analytical potential of this novel probe for studying membrane-targeting antibiotics, utilising its high sensitivity to detect subtle drug-target interactions in vivo. This part-project will characterise how membrane-targeting compounds disrupt proton diffusion, contributing to understanding the low antimicrobial resistance rates associated with this promising antibiotic class and advancing future drug development strategies.

This post is fixed for a period of 3 years

For informal enquiries, please contact Henrik Strahl via email (h.strahl@ncl.ac.uk) or BlueSky (@henrikstrahl.bsky.social).

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/ 

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value'
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute.
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment
• Work collaboratively within your own research group, and with external collaboration partners

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge in the area of bioenergetics and membrane biology
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
• A publication record that matches the career stage
• Research experience in either (i) bacterial physiology with links to bioenergetics, or (ii) bioenergetics with a research interest in bacterial in vivo models 

Desirable

• Experience in fluorescence microscopy or membrane biology
• Experience in working with B. subtilis, including genetic manipulation 
• Experience in interdisciplinary and collaborative research 

Attributes and Behaviour

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent team-working skills
• Well organised, with the ability to work on several parallel research lines 

Qualifications

• Good honours degree (or equivalent) with some subject knowledge in the relevant area (Research Assistant)
• A PhD in microbiology, biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology, or a comparable field (required for appointment at Associate level)

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29000