Main Purpose of the Job

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist to join the Laboratory of Dr Hildebrand at Earlham Institute, Norwich, UK.

This post is part of the OpenCLIM_LANDS project, that aims to provide the insights needed to put the UK on a path to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, achieved through climate resilient soil health, food security, and biodiversity net gain. In this multi-centre project, we will combine climate forecasting with latest advances in soil science to enable a unique perspective into land use under forecasted climate change scenarios.

The following questions will be addressed: How do soil microbes establish, contribute and maintain biodiverse macro- & micro-communities, and how are these impacted by different land use scenarios? How can we use machine learning to predict soil microbiomes from either pristine or agriculturally used soils, predict their functional capacity (e.g. carbon storage)? What practices can help microbial soil communities to recover? To answer these the OpenCLIM_LANDS (https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/new-project-to-benefit-net-zero-targets-soil-health-biodiversity-and-agriculture) project was established.

The project holder will use metagenomics (similar to doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0386-6, 10.1111/1462-2920.15314) to profile both taxonomic and functional compositions of >3,000 newly sequenced soil sites. Using machine learning we will build comprehensive profiles of typically expected microbial profiles across soil sites (similar to doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.024) and their relation to soil health and carbon storage. Using a combination of robotics and third generation sequencing, we will use predictive microbial modelling to improve land use on existing agricultural sites. Long-term, this work will contribute to enabling microbially-informed agriculture, combating the impact of climate change and understanding how healthy soil microbiomes are established & maintained.

Key Relationships

The post holder will work closely with line managers Prof Falk Hildebrand and Dr Chris Quince, members of their groups and the OpenCLIM_LANDS consortium. OpenCLIM_LANDS is a multi-centre UK collaboration between Earlham & Quadram Institutes, University of East Anglia, University of Leeds, Newcastle University and UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (see https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/new-project-to-benefit-net-zero-targets-soil-health-biodiversity-and-agriculture).
The applicant is expected to help in the supervision of junior group members and to represent the group at training, and will have direct access to established PacBio/ONT, Hi-C and single cell sequencing facilities, as well as one of UK’s largest HPC cluster at the NRP.

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Process and analyse soil metagenomes

30

Use machine learning/statistics to characterise & predict community states

30

Translate research into semi-automatic prediction of soil health for end-users

20

Support group with tasks such as outreach, student supervision, writing grants

15

As agreed with the line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the post, for example, contributing to the work of Institute committees

5

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

PhD in Bioinformatics, Soil science, Ecology or Microbiology, or equivalent experience

Essential

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Programming skills (e.g. C++, Perl, python or R)

Essential

Ability to troubleshoot and solve problems

Essential

Initiative and a desire to learn, to innovate, and to move out of their comfort zone

Essential

Ability to work independently on research projects

Desirable

Understanding of environmental microbiomes

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Familiarity with metagenomics and related bioinformatics

Essential

Machine learning, advanced statistics or numerical ecology experience

Essential

Proven track-record of research output at the appropriate level

Desirable

Experience grant writing or supervising lab members

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Excellent communication skills, both written and oral

Essential

Promotes and strives for continuous improvement

Essential

Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work alone and as part of a team

Essential

Reliable and conscientious

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Attention to detail

Essential

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Willingness to undertake any necessary training for the role

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the Institute, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Earlham Institute

About the Earlham Institute
The Earlham Institute is a hub of life science research, training, and innovation focused on understanding the natural world through the lens of genomics.

We are building a future where the biology of any organism can be understood by analysing its genome. Our mission is to decode the scale and complexity of living systems so we can understand, benefit from, and protect life on Earth.

The Earlham Institute is based on the Norwich Research Park and is one of eight institutes that receive strategic funding from the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC).

Our Science
Earlham Institute scientists specialise in developing and testing the latest tools and approaches needed to decode living systems and make predictions about biology.

We are home to state-of-the-art facilities and technology, creating a unique combination of expertise and infrastructure. We have dedicated laboratories for genome sequencing, single-cell analysis, engineering biology, and large-scale automation; as well as one of the largest supercomputing facilities for life science research in Europe. Our Advanced Training team also provides access to specialised scientific training to upskill the next generation of research and technical staff.

Our Culture
The Earlham Institute champions 'team science'. Our collegiate and innovative research environment comes with significant support, including a commitment to your professional development, research and administrative assistance, and opportunities to build collaborations with scientists and industry on the Norwich Research Park, across the UK, and internationally.

The Institute is also home to talented technical and operational staff, whose invaluable contributions enable our science to have the maximum impact. We aim to recognise, reward, and develop all staff and students so that every individual feels able to achieve their best with us.

We work hard to nurture an engaged and positive workplace, centred on core values that include openness, technical excellence, and collaboration. We attract staff from around the world who contribute to - and benefit from - an environment that enables them to deliver world-class science alongside a supportive and social community.

For more information about working at the Earlham Institute, please click here.

Further Information:

Our Vision and Mission

Our Strategy

Our Culture

Life at Earlham Institute

Department

Research Faculty

Group Details

The Hildebrand group uses meta*omics to research the diversity, community interactions, and evolution of microbes in communities. Currently the group has projects in both human associated and environmental (soil, lakes) microbiomes, for which custom bioinformatic solutions are developed in-house to enable a wholistic microbiome exploration. We advocate strain-resolved metagenomics and develop the numerical solutions to work with MAGs intra-specific phylogenies. For representative publications relevant to the post please see (doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.024 , 10.1101/2024.09.09.24313184 , 10.1016/j.chom.2021.05.008) and www.falk.science for group information.

The Earlham Institute is based on the Norwich Research Park, which is one of the largest single-site concentrations of research in environmental genomics and computational sciences in Europe. The Park hosts 4 BBSRC Institutes (including Earlham), 17,000 students, 3,000 full-time researchers and clinicians, and over 115 companies. The outstanding reputation of our researchers is internationally recognised, with 10 of the Park's scientists in the top 1% of the "most highly cited" in the world, including Prof Falk Hildebrand.

Living in Norfolk

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Postdoctoral Research Scientist - Soil Microbiomes

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist to join the Laboratory of Prof Hildebrand and Dr Quince in the Research Faculty of the Earlham Institute, based in Norwich, UK.

Background:

This post is part of the OpenCLIM_LANDS project, that aims at providing the insights needed to put the UK on a path to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, achieved through climate resilient soil health, food security, and biodiversity net gain. In this multi-centre project, we will combine climate forecasting with latest advances in soil science to enable a unique microbial perspective into land use & climate scenarios.

The role:

In this post, we will address the following questions: How do soil microbes establish, contribute and maintain healthy, biodiverse macro- & micro-communities, and how are these impacted by different land use scenarios? How can we use machine learning to predict soil microbiomes from either pristine or agriculturally used soils, predict their functional capacity (e.g. carbon storage)? What practices can help microbial soil communities recover? To answer these and more questions the OpenCLIM_LANDS multi-centre project was established.

The project holder will use metagenomics (similar to doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0386-6, 10.1111/1462-2920.15314) to profile both taxonomic and functional compositions of >3,000 newly sequenced soil sites. Using machine learning we will build comprehensive profiles of typically expected microbial profiles across soil sites (similar to doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.024) and their relation to soil health and carbon storage. Using a combination of robotics and third-generation sequencing, we will use predictive microbial modelling to improve the land use in existing agricultural sites. Long-term, this work will enable microbially-informed agriculture, combating the impact of climate change and understanding how healthy soil microbiomes are established & maintained.

The environment:

The Hildebrand group uses metagenomics to research the diversity, community interactions, and evolution of microbes in communities using custom software solutions. The Quince group explores environmental and host-associated microbiomes using statistics and machine learning. Both groups are situated at the Norwich Research Park (NRP) UK, that integrates the 4 BBSRC Institutes, University of East Anglia (UEA), one of UK’s largest HPC clusters, > 15 companies, 3,000 researchers and clinicians, and 17,000 students. Norwich ranked in the top 10 of UK cities with a historical town centre and an active food & coffee aficionado scene.

OpenCLIM_LANDS is a multi-centre UK collaboration between Earlham & Quadram Institutes, UEA, University of Leeds, Newcastle University, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, among others. The applicant will meet consortium members on regurlarly scheduled meetings and interact closely with collaborators in truly multi-discplinary environmental research.

The ideal candidate:

The applicant needs to hold a PhD (or equivalent) in bioinformatics, biology, computer science or a related discipline with a background and/or keen interest in the following subjects:

- Metagenomics, microbiomes & bioinformatics
- Soil science, environmental biodiversity & ecology

The ideal candidate will have experience in conducting scientific experiments independently, writing papers, presenting work and grant writing. Basic statistics and programming skills (either R, python, Perl, C++, or equivalent) is expected. Specialised skills will be taught and developed through mentorship and collaborations. The applicant is expected to help in the supervision of junior group members and to represent the group at trainings.

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £37,500 - £42,000 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time post until a funding end date of July 2027. There is potential for extension depending on funding availability.

This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply.  Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.

The closing date for applications will be 19 September 2025.