Postdoctoral Fellow - D. Balchin lab

Description

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Job title: Postdoctoral Fellow – D. Balchin lab

Reporting to: David Balchin, Group leader

Contact term: This is a full-time fixed term (4 year) position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Salary for this Role: From £45,500 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

Application closing date: 14th of November 2025 at 11.59pm

About us 

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. 

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy. 

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious Postdoctoral Training Fellow to join the D. Balchin lab.

The D. Balchin lab is focused on determining how the cellular environment shapes pathways of protein folding.

Project directions include studies of protein folding and assembly in bacteria and human cells, the coordination between protein synthesis and molecular chaperones, and principles of nascent protein quality control at the ribosome.

The Project

The project will focus on determining the roles of molecular chaperones during cotranslational folding. You will characterise the structures and dynamics of chaperone complexes with translating ribosomes, using biochemical reconstitution, hydrogen/deuterium exchange- and crosslinking-mass spectrometry, cryo-electron microscopy, proteomics and fluorescence microscopy.

You will be focused and methodical with expertise in protein biochemistry and passionate about studying molecular mechanisms. You will also be expected to led the project and collaborate with others in the lab.

What you will be doing

You will responsible for:

Designing experiments

Acquiring and analysing data

Drafting manuscripts for publication

Contributing to mentorship of junior colleagues

About you

You will have:

PhD awarded or in the final stages of PhD submission*

Track record of writing papers as evidenced by at least one publication, preprint or submitted manuscript as lead author, from their PhD*

Expertise in one or more experimental techniques used to characterise protein dynamics (e.g. NMR, HDX-MS)*

Expertise in protein biochemistry and protein purification from bacteria and human cells

Experience in mechanistic studies of protein folding and molecular chaperones (desirable)

Experience in mechanistic studies of ribosomes/mRNA translation (desirable)

Expertise in mammalian cell culture (desirable)

*Minimum Criteria

About Working at the Crick

Our values

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture! 

We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. 

We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. 

We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community. 

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we'll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email:

What will you receive?

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development: 

Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK 

Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays. 

Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%. 

Health & Well-being: 

24/7 GP consultation services. 

Occupational health services and mental health support programs. 

Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans. 

Work-Life Balance: 

Back-up care for dependents. 

Childcare support allowance. 

Annual leave purchase options. 

Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.

Perks: 

Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts. 

Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.