Senior Research Associate – Further Particulars – Plant Sciences for Food Security: Increasing
Photosynthesis and Yield in Rice (BBSRC Newton fund)
Photosynthesis Group, Plant Physiology & Biochemistry Laboratory, Lancaster Environment
Centre, Lancaster University, UK
Ref: A1430
Further Details
Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is seeking to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Rice
Molecular Physiology. Lancaster is ranked in the UK Top 10 universities in both the Guardian and the
Complete University Guide. The University is also ranked No.1 in the North West, and is in the Top
1% of universities globally.
The photosynthesis team at Lancaster is researching how to improve carbon assimilation to increase
crop yields. We have relocated from Rothamsted Research in September 2015
(http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/news-and-events/news/2015/oct-15/feed-the-world/) and are now
starting to grow at Lancaster, with active recruiting in place. Our research is currently funded by the
BBSRC, the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP), and a sub-contract to the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation award to the University of Illinois. We focus on understanding natural variation
across diverse plant genotypes in photosynthetic efficiency and regulation in response to the
environment. We use this knowledge to improve carbon assimilation in crops through interaction
with breeders and agronomists. We use biotechnological tools to improve specific photosynthetic
processes and test the impact on overall plant performance.
Our team is part of a wider group, the Plant and Crop Science research group, consisting of ten
academic staff and involving interactions with staff from across the other research groups
(http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/research/research-areas/plant-and-crop-science/#people).
Research at LEC focuses on strategic applications and provides a link to policy and business. In
addition,
through
its
Enterprise
and
Business
Partnerships
(EBP;
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/business/), LEC undertakes a wide range of projects in partnership
with business and industry.
The position is for 3 years and is available to a proactive and enthusiastic plant molecular
physiologist. Expected start date: March 2016. The post-holder will be expected to collaborate with
all team members and to conduct research as part of the Rice Research Newton Fund project
Exploiting a Cyanobacterial CO2 Concentrating Mechanism to Increase Photosynthesis and Yield in
Rice. Preference will be given to those with experience in determination of confocal microscopy,
protein detection and quantification by western blotting, measurement of net CO2 assimilation by
infra-red gas analyses, Rubisco properties and plant development and productivity. As a member of
a multidisciplinary group, the ability to work as part of a team and excellent communication and
interpersonal skills are essential.
The Project
The BBSRC-funded Rice Research Newton Fund project Exploiting a Cyanobacterial CO2
Concentrating Mechanism to Increase Photosynthesis and Yield in Rice is a collaboration of
Lancaster University with the Chinese Academy of Sciences – Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Partner
Institute for Computational Biology. The ultimate overall aim of the proposed research is to use a
synthetic biology approach to substantially increase the yield of rice by increasing photosynthesis.
We will take advantage of promising results with the model plant tobacco to bring the
cyanobacterial CCM into rice for the future. The various components of the cyanobacterial betacarboxysome, cyanobacterial Rubisco, bicarbonate transporters and carbonic anhydrase will be
engineered in rice. Screening of transgenic lines will involve confocal microscopy, protein detection
and quantification by western blotting, measurement of net CO2 assimilation by infra-red gas
analyses, Rubisco properties and plant development and productivity.
The Department
Lancaster Environment Centre forms one of the largest and most prestigious groups of
interdisciplinary environmental researchers in the world, with over 200 staff and research and
teaching that span the Environmental, Biological and Social Sciences. LEC was formally constituted
on 1st August 2008 through the merger of three successful university departments (Environmental
Science, Geography and the non-Medical parts of Biology) and now operates as a fully integrated
university department on a single site. It is the largest department in Lancaster University and a key
player in the strategic development of the institution and the Faculty of Science and Technology. The
co-location of the NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology on the Lancaster campus as part of the
LEC complex adds critical mass in environmental research capacity enabling staff from both
organizations to work closely together in a formal collaboration. LEC currently admits about 240
undergraduate students and 100 postgraduate (MSc/PhD) students each year and teaches across a
wide range of degree schemes. A distinctive feature of LEC is its Enterprise and Business Partnership
(EBP) unit which hosts some 20 small companies working with LEC researchers and which has links
to a large number of other national and multi-national businesses and organisations. We run both
graduate and undergraduate consultancy programmes and have an extensive programme of
knowledge innovation and transfer with both private and public sector partners.
The University
Lancaster is a world-class university with an international reputation for excellence in teaching,
scholarship and research. Lancaster is a UK top ten University and is consistently highly placed in all
major league tables, in the top 1 percent of the world ranking (QS) and continues to grow its
reputation for teaching and research excellence both nationally and internationally. Established in
1964, Lancaster currently has over 12,000 students and has seen £450 million being invested in our
campus over the last ten years. The University boasts an idyllic campus that combines city, coast and
countryside all into one. The campus setting conveys a tranquil ambiance whilst offering such a
range of facilities it can almost be called a small town in its own right. The main Bailrigg campus is
home to a range of amenities, and even its own cultural hub including a theatre, art gallery and
concert series. More recently, Lancaster University has developed a portfolio of teaching
partnerships overseas, as part of its global outreach internationalisation strategy.
The City and the Region
The main campus lies 3 miles outside the City of Lancaster and is easily accessible via road, rail and
bicycle. The city centre is just 15 minutes away by bus, and was recently ranked one of the top 10
most vibrant cities in the UK thanks to its arts scene and student population. The City of Lancaster
also enjoys a long and diverse history dating as far back as 1193, and has a well-maintained iconic
city centre and medieval castle. The campus is just 30 miles south of the beautiful Lake District and
about the same distance from the Yorkshire Dales. It is very well connected by road and rail, with
Manchester (and its international airport) just over an hour distant, while the train journey to
London takes just two and a half hours.
Further information
Informal enquiries to Dr Elizabete Carmo-Silva, Lancaster Environment Centre, +44 (0)1524 594369,
[email protected], or Prof Martin Parry, Lancaster Environment Centre, +44 (0)1524
595084, [email protected].