SynBioBeta London 2017 conference, Imperial College London, UK.

SynBioBeta London 2017, Imperial College London, UK

Connect with the Global Synthetic Biology Community. For the 5th year in a row, SynBioBeta London 2017 will bring together thought leaders and entrepreneurs from multiple facets of the synthetic biology industry.

Our focus is to unite attendees through thought-provoking talks, panels and networking opportunities, allowing the science and business sides of the industry to make critical connections.

With talks from key decision makers and tech pioneers, SynBioBeta is a must for those wanting to keep up with the rapidly-evolving industry. Networking opportunities are rich for those aiming to grow their company, their client list, meet investors or launch their next product. Many partnerships, connections, and new ventures have been started at SynBioBeta. If you are an active part of the synthetic biology industry and have a passion for making biology easier to engineer, then this is a must attend event.

SynBioBeta have offered a discount code to for the event, which entitles partipants to 20% off the cost of attending the conference. 

The discount code is: CambridgeMeetLON17

For more information, and to register using the discount code above, please click here.

16/17 March: Programmable biology for diagnostics - impacting global health and development

09:00-16:00, Mar 16/17, 2017, The Hauser Forum, 3 Charles Babbage Rd, Cambridge CB3 0GT

These day-long workshops will introduce challenges and opportunities in the field of cell-free diagnostics, with talks from the OpenDiagnostics team, expert in the latest advances of this technology Keith Pardee (University of Toronto, Canada) and plant disease expert Dr Richard Echodu (Gulu University, Uganda). This will be followed by an interactive sandpit session, and lab practicals the following day.

Harnessing recent advances in synthetic biology, cell-free paper-based diagnostics offer a platform for low cost, easy-to-use, in-field testing systems for a wide range of possible specificities. Synthetic gene networks can be designed to generate quantifiable outputs, such as chromoproteins that lead to visual color changes, in the presence of specific input signals like heavy metal ions or viral RNA sequences. These DNA circuits can be freeze-dried onto paper, along with the cellular machinery used for gene transcription and translation. When rehydrated, a simple visible readout can be produced and little or no laboratory experience or infrastructure is required. Critically, the low cost of these strips (~0.1$/test) will enable access across low and middle income countries.

OpenDiagnostics is an interdisciplinary team of early career researchers with three aims: to prototype solutions to technical challenges in cell-free diagnostics, to investigate potential applications, and to connect scientific experts with stakeholders.

OpenDiagnostics Seminar

This morning workshop will introduce the challenges and opportunities uncovered by the team, with additional talks from the originator of the latest advances in the technology Keith Pardee (University of Toronto, Canada) and plant disease expert Dr Richard Echodu (Gulu University, Uganda).

OpenDiagnostics Sandpit

Get involved in tackling global health challenges using programmable biology! If you would be interested to help generate ideas and collaborate with OpenDiagnostics, you’re invited to join this interactive sandpit event. Interdisciplinary teams will tackle a range of technical challenges identified by OpenDiagnostics requiring expertise from across the natural sciences, engineering and computer science through to manufacturing, law and social sciences. Solutions may be put forward as funding proposals for the OpenPlant Fund call in July 2017, which offers £5k grants to interdisciplinary projects in synthetic biology.

Lab practicals (17th Mar)

Get hands on with designing logic circuits using DNA and programming cell extracts to produce colours or other reporters in response to a signal. Physicists, engineers, computer scientists and other non-biologists are particularly welcome to attend and explore new technologies that bring engineering thinking into biology. No prior experience required.

Tickets are free, however spaces are limited. To register, please click here.

Timetable

16th March 2017 Seminar and Sandpit sessions

9.00-9.20 Registration

9.20-10.40 About OpenDiagnostics

• Introduction to OpenDiagnostics

• Insights from field trips to Kenya and South Africa

10.40-11.00 Refreshments

11.00-12.00 Expert talks

• Richard Echodu on challenges and opportunities for crop disease diagnostics in Africa

• Keith Pardee on cell-free synthetic diagnostics and portable, on-demand biomanufacturing

12.00-13.00 Lunch

13.00-14.45 Focus Groups

14.45-15.00 Refreshments

15.00-15.30 Presentation of OpenPlant Fund proposal ideas

15.30-16.00 Wrapping up and networking

17th March 2017 - Practicals

09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00, Department of Veterinary Science

There will be a day long practical session taking place at the University of Cambridge department of Veterinary Medicine on the 17th of March. Details for the venue to come. 

Additional events

In addition to this event, there will also be an event titled: 'Programmable cell extracts - a new biomanufacturing paradigm' taking place at 18:30-9:00 on the 16th March at the Old Divinity School, St Johns College. The talk and dialogue will be followed by a wine reception and delicious finger buffet. 

This event is bookable through e-sales on the university website (registration £5). Please click here for more information.

Tickets and Booking

Please note that if you wish to attend several of the available sessions, you can order tickets for multiple events through the registration option. However, if you wish to attend the sandpit session on the 16th March, you need to attend the seminar session first.

Tickets are free, however spaces are limited. To register, please click here.

More information about this event…

16 March: Programmable Cell Extracts - A New Biomanufacturing Paradigm

Mar 16, 2017, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM, Old Divinity School, St Johns College.

Dr. Keith Pardee (University of Toronto) and Dr. Richard Kelwick (Imperial College) discuss how use of cell extracts could revolutionise the field of biomanufacturing. The talk and dialogue will be followed by a wine reception and delicious finger buffet.

Bioengineering to produce complex control circuits like diagnostic tests, or to modify metabolic pathways for production of everything from drug and vaccines to flavours and fragrances, has typically taken place in cells that are then grown in large, industrial bioreactors. New methods, using cell extracts that can be programmed quickly and flexibly using DNA, promise a paradigm shift in biomanufacturing and paves the way to novel modes of computational biodesign, rapid prototyping and bioproduction. The opportunity to freeze-dry and ship these biofactories opens up many exciting possibilities for small scale distributed manufacturing, for example just-in-time vaccine production, and has profound implications for emerging bioeconomies.

The Synthetic Biology SRI welcomes two researchers to discuss this new area of synthetic biology and its possible futures.

Dr. Keith Pardee (University of Toronto) works at the interface of synthetic biology and human health. His research focuses on the potential of moving synthetic biology outside of the cell and dry shipment of programmable biofactories to enable diagnostics and just in time production of vaccines and biologics.

Dr. Richard Kelwick (Imperial College) researches cell-free systems and biopolymer production, including establishing cell-free methods and toolkits for new bacterial strains, most recently Bacillus subtilis. He also works on bioreporters and biosensors using synthetic gene circuits.

The talk and dialogue will be followed by a wine reception and delicious finger buffet.

For more information, and to register for the seminar (£5), please book here.

This event is organised by the Synthetic Biology Strategic Research Initiative as part of our Lent Term 2017 SynBio Forum. For more events please visit http://www.synbio.cam.ac.uk/events/forum

Additional event

This event is being run in conjunction with a free day seminar and workshop session taking place on 16th March 2017, entitled: ‘Programmable biology for diagnostics impacting global health and development’, details of which can be found here.

More information about this event…

EUSynBioS announces 2017 dates for their annual Symposium 2017 (Aug 31 - Sep 1)

The European Association of Synthetic Biology Students and Postdocs (EUSynBioS) are excited to announce dates for their annual symposium on Synthetic Biology held Aug 31 - Sep 1 2017 in Madrid.

The Symposium features exciting speakers and interactive sessions to foster greater collaboration and engagement within the European Synthetic Biology community. EUSynBioS is at heart a student and post-doc association and havereserved a majority of speaking time for PhD students and early career post-docs to present their research to peers and leading academics and industry representatives. 

The European Association of Students and Post-docs in Synthetic Biology (EUSynBioS) was founded as a student-led initiative in late 2014. Their goal is to shape and foster a community of young researchers active the young scientific discipline of synthetic biology within Europe by means of providing an integrative central resource for interaction and professional development.

For more information, please click here.

[Closes 15 Apr 2017] 2017 Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory Summer Course in Synthetic Biology

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are now accepting applications for the 2017 Summer Course in Synthetic Biology.

We encourage you, your colleagues, and/or your trainees to apply if…

• You are a scientist whose training is well underway (senior graduate student to junior faculty and beyond).
• You are interested in steering your research in a new direction, towards synthetic biology.
• You are interested in a multi-disciplinary approach to biology and bioengineering. We encourage students of all backgrounds, whether the very biological or very theoretical, to apply!

• You work in the field of synthetic biology and are interested in new techniques.

Since the course began in 2013, industry professionals, graduate students, postdocs, science educators, and junior faculty have completed our immersive two-week laboratory class. The Course will focus on how the complexity of biological systems, combined with traditional engineering approaches, results in the emergence of new design principles for synthetic biology. Students will work in teams to learn the practical and theoretical underpinnings of cutting edge research in the area of Synthetic Biology. In addition, students will gain a broad overview of current applications of synthetic biology by interacting with a panel of internationally-recognized speakers from academia and industry during seminars, lab work, social activities.

Scholarships: Several stipend awards are available for applicants who are accepted into the course. Please read details about the available stipend awards at: https://meetings.cshl.edu/sponsors.aspx?course=C-SYNBIO&year=17

In order to be considered for an award, you must specifically reference which one you are eligible for in the Stipend Request section of your application.

• Course dates: July 25 - August 6, 2017
• Application deadline: April 15, 2017
• Application submission information: http://meetings.cshl.edu/courses/2017/c-synbio17.shtml
• Course blog & website: 

Image credit: Jun Seita via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

[Closes 27 Mar 2017] CSIRO Synthetic Biology Fellowships

The CSIRO Future Science Platform in Synthetic Biology has released a call for national and international applicants for CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellowships. See below and https://research.csiro.au/synthetic-biology-fsp/ for more information:

Synthetic Biology Fellowships

Applications are now open for the CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellowships, an initiative of CSIRO's new Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform (SynBio FSP).

The scheme aims to attract outstanding national and international early-career post-doctoral researchers (equivalent to Academic Levels A and B, or in exceptional circumstances, Level C) to expand Australian research capacity in synthetic biology. A key element of the SynBio FSP is establishment of a collaborative community of practice extending across CSIRO and Australia more broadly, and linking into international efforts in the field. The SynBio FSP is built on a philosophy of responsible development of synthetic biology technology, striving for ethical outcomes and working within the bounds of social acceptance.

Fellowships will be hosted at a Host Organisation (usually an Australian University, but other Australian research organisations may also be eligible) and will be a partnership between the Fellow, CSIRO, and the Host Organisation. Fellows will be employed by the Host Organisation but will maintain a strong linkage to CSIRO through a partnering CSIRO Mentor(s) and various joint activities designed to support development of a synthetic biology community of practice across Australia

How to apply?

Further information and application instructions for the Fellowships are available at: https://research.csiro.au/synthetic-biology-fsp/

Applications must be submitted by 5pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, 27th March 2017.

Enquiries can be directed to: SynBioFSP@csiro.au

Cambridge Synthetic Biology Meetup group reaches 500 members

Cambridge Synthetic Biology Meetup is a group for people interested in Synthetic Biology and open technologies: the DNA-based reprogramming and computational modelling of living systems and low-cost hardware for biological instrumentation.

It is supported by the Synthetic Biology Strategic Research Initiative but also advertises events organised by OpenPlant, various departments and the Biomakespace. Since starting back in 2014, membership has steadily grown and the group has just welcomed it's 500th member, E.J. McCarthy, a 1st Year PhD student in the Department of Engineering.

E.J. told us a little bit about why he joined the group. If you're interested in similar opportunities then please join us!

"I joined up because synthetic biology allows for extensive interdisciplinary collaboration and holds the potential to significantly impact the general populace over the next 15-20 years in a positive way. My hope is to play a role in fulfilling this promise and interact with individuals who feel the same way. "

Upcoming Meetups include:

Monday 20 Feb, 6pm. Cafe Synthetique: Biology as Technology

A fascinating story of human efforts to gain control of evolution and produce plant traits to order using X-rays, nuclear technologies and other industrial processes. Are we edging closer to evolution to order using genetic toold like CRISPR? Find out with Dr Helen Anne Curry (History and Philosophy of Science) and Dr Alison Bentley (NIAB).

Every Thursday, 7pm. Build a Biomakespace

Volunteer with an enthusiastic and interdisciplinary group to create a community laboratory for engineering with biology in Cambridge, based in the heart of the Biomedical Campus.

Saturday 11 Mar, 12pm, Science Makers: data wrangling

This monthly meetup at Cambridge Makespace usually builds lab and scientific equipment but this month we're focusing on the data - how do you deal with data from sensors or sensor networks and use it to make things happen? A great intro ahead of our Internet of Science Things meeting in April.

Registration opens for OpenPlant Forum in Cambridge, 24-26 July 2017

OpenPlant Forum is an annual open meeting for plant synthetic biology organised by the OpenPlant partners: University of Cambridge, John Innes Centre and the Earlham Institute. Attendees from other organisations are welcome.

In 2017 the theme is fast and frugal engineering with biology. Join us to explore new ways of exploiting genetic tools, automation, open international exchange, DIY/maker approaches and more to develop globally accessible synthetic biology research and teaching resources. We will showcase the latest developments in plant synthetic biology from within OpenPlant and beyond, alongside outcomes from OpenPlant Fund, our seed funding scheme which has already supported almost 40 interdisciplinary projects led by early career researchers.

Registration is free to all but places are limited, please sign up early to ensure your space.

You can find more information on the Forum via the OpenPlant website.

OpenPlant Forum 2016

Seven Developments in SynBio: Science, Patents and Ethics | OpenPlant Forum 2016

by Steven Burgess and Cindy Chan

How researchers answer questions around innovation, patenting and open access will have a profound impact on the development of the synthetic biology community. These issues were at the center of discussions during the OpenPlant Forum last month as researchers gathered at the John Innes Centre to present the latest progress in plant synthetic biology. Here Steven and Cindy provide a review of seven key developments presented at the meeting.

See article by Steven Burgess and Cindy Chan on the PLOS Synthetic Biology Blog

[Closes 7 Mar 2017] OpenPlant Research Associate (Haseloff Lab)

A position is open for a postdoctoral research associate based at the OpenPlant Laboratory in Cambridge, within the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and directed by Prof. Jim Haseloff.

The appointee will develop a research project based on the development of new synthetic biology tools for engineering traits in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha. Work with Marchantia allows streamlined approaches to genome modification, secondary metabolism and morphogenetic engineering. We are looking for a highly motivated post-doctoral scientist to work in this area.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate a strong background in plant molecular biology or synthetic biology, including a PhD in a relevant area. Experience with synthetic biology, plant molecular biology and advanced microscopy will be advantageous.

OpenPlant is a BBSRC-EPSRC funded Synthetic Biology Research Centre. It is based in the United Kingdom and is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich. The OpenPlant SBRC is focused on the development of open foundational technologies for plant synthetic biology and their application for engineering new traits in crop systems. OpenPlant will (i) fund interdisciplinary efforts in plant Synthetic Biology, to explore novel foundational technologies and applications, build shared resources and provide a point of exchange for young scientists and entrepreneurs; (ii) promote two-tier intellectual property models that will promote sharing of DNA components and freedom-to-operate for commercial applications of plant synthetic biology, and (iii) address responsible innovation, and explore the potential wider impacts of synthetic biology on sustainable practices in agriculture, bioproduction, land use and environmental conservation.

• Salary: £29,301-£38,183
• Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 2 September 2019 in the first instance.
• Closing date: 7 March 2017
• Download: Further details
• You can apply online for this vacancy. You will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.
• Please upload your CV and covering letter, ensuring you list at least 2 referees.
• Please quote reference PD11358 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
• For further information contact Prof Jim Haseloff (jh295@cam.ac.uk)

Please note if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

The University values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Cafe Synthetique: Biology as Technology

Monday, February 20, 2017, 6:00 PM

Panton Arms, 43 Panton Street CB2 1HL, Cambridge

Café Synthetique is the monthly meetup for the Cambridge synthetic biology community with informal talks, discussion and pub snacks.

This months' theme will focus on how biology is used as technology, with a particular focus on how we have and will continue to shape plant crops species. We have two excellent speakers whose work focuses on how technology is used to modify genes both for use as research tools in genetics and evolutionary biology, and also as a means of plant breeding.  

Free bar snacks and good conversation provided!

Talks and speakers

"Biology as Technology: An Unexpected History of Innovation in Living Things" 
Dr Helen Anne-Curry
Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Helen's current research considers the history of global conservation, in particular efforts made to preserve the genetic diversity of agricultural crop species through the practice of seed banking.

"Breeding technology for better crops"

Dr Alison Bentley

NIAB

Alison has worked on a range of projects within NIAB’s flagship wheat pre-breeding programme, including research on characterising flowering time response and the exploitation of novel genetic diversity and genomics tools for wheat improvement. She has a strong interest in the genotype x environment interactions controlling complex traits and in the application of genomics in the breeding of high yielding, climate resilient cereals.

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

More information about this event…

Image credit: ZEISS Microscopy via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

[22nd - 24th March 2017] Agro-Innovation 3-day workshop and networking event

Are you interested in ‘Entrepreneurial’ way of thinking? Do you think you could make a difference with your ideas? (but don’t know how) Thinking of starting your own business?

There are still places for Agri-Inno (22nd – 24th March 2017), a programme organised by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning of the Judge Business School and Plant Sciences. Agri-Inno will be looking at Agricultural waste opportunities, and it is a collaboration between Cambridge and Egypt Universities. If you are interested in being part of the Agri-Inno programme, please email ml745@cam.ac.uk with a completed application form.

This is a great opportunity to get out of the lab, look into innovative ways of using your research and next career steps. You also get the opportunity to meet lots of other researchers and companies.    

Agri-Inno is based on the Enterprisers programme, which was established as CMI-Connections by the Cambridge-MIT Institute in 2002. It has been managed and delivered by the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL) since 2003 inspiring over 1200 students to date. 

Get involved – and make a difference!

For more information, see here:

 AGRI INNO call for participants.pdf — PDF document, 123 KB

 registration form.pdf — PDF document, 243 KB

Agri-Innovation 2017 Speed Networking event

The organisers of the program also invite you to come to a networking session with young entrepreneurs, researchers and business people from Egypt and Cambridge looking at new opportunities and innovation in Agricultural waste. The event will run from 6:30pm to 7:30pm on March the 23, 2017, at The Garden Cafe, Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

This is part of the week long workshop, Agri-Inno, which focuses on identifying innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities in providing solutions to the significant challenges of agricultural waste in Egypt, thereby bringing potential economic and environmental benefits.

For more information, and to register, please click here.

OpenPlant PI Professor Alison Smith talks algae and The Life Scientific on Radio 4

OpenPlant PI Professor Alison Smith featured on BBC Radio 4's 'The Life Scientific' on Tuesday 31 January, discussing her love of biochemistry with Jim al-Khalili. Her interest led to a passion for algae and their extraordinary and sometimes bizarre molecular diversity. Their abundant complex metabolites and natural products, combined with their ease of growth in large volumes, make algae a key target for biotechnology and synthetic biology. Alison has worked extensively on the topic of algal biofuels and more recently, algal acquisition of vitamins from co-cultured bacteria, which could be used in food supplement development. Algal farms are beginning to emerge as sustainable biofactories for more and more compounds that we rely on in our daily lives.

Alison's lab will soon host an OpenPlant postdoctoral researcher examining genetic regulation through riboswitches and members of her lab are already contributing to a growing collection of MoClo DNA parts for the alga Chlamydomonas rheinhardtii.

Algae featured image credit: CSIRO on Wikimedia, licensed under CC-BY 3.0

Open research training for PhD students in sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (14 Feb - 7 Mar 2017)

The Office of Scholarly Communication is offering a series of courses in open research training for PhD and graduate students at the University of Cambridge.

The courses will provide an extremely useful foundation of knowledge for a career in research. The courses offered will go into depth regarding issues such as open research, keeping digital information safe, and publishing and communicating your research effectively. They will be running between 14 February - 7 March 2017 and are free for all graduate students, but are pitched at a level most relevant for PhD students. Spaces need to be booked in advance.

The courses can be viewed below: 

Everything you need to know about Open Research: for researchers and graduate students

(Tue 14 Feb 2017) 10:00 - 11:00

Pre-Publication considerations: Publishing your Research Effectively

(Tue 21 Feb 2017) 10:00 - 11:00

Research Data Management Workshop (for PhD students in the Graduate School of Life Sciences)

(Mon 27 Feb 2017) 14:00 - 17:00

Post-Publication sharing: Publishing your Research Effectively

(Tue 28 Feb 2017) 10:00 - 11:00

Research Data Management Workshop

(Tue 7 Mar 2017) 09:30 - 12:30

For more information or for other courses from the Office of Scholarly Communication, please click here.

Image credit: Leo Hidalgo via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Call for volunteers - 'Synthetic Biology and the Senses' at Cambridge Science Festival 2017

The Plant and Life Science Marquee at the coming Science Festival will be running 10:00-16:00 on Sat 18 Mar 2017. There will be a 'Synthetic Biology and the Senses' joint exhibit by OpenPlant and the SynBio SRI. We will be including exhibits on synthetic biology and the senses, with interactive puzzle games and activities for children, as well as posters of various projects going on in Cambridge relating to synthetic biology. 

We are looking for volunteers to help with the exhibit and presentation of the stall. We require volunteers for various times of the day and would be very happy to have 4 people at the exhibit at all times. One hour slots are available and volunteers can stay as long as desired. 

Open Innovation with Large Bioresources: a workshop report

OpenPlantand The Synthetic Biology SRI, Public Policy SRI and Faculty of Law co-organised a workshop held on 28 January 2016 on the openness of large bioresources in synthetic biology and genomics. The resulting report by Dr John Liddicoat and Dr Kathy Liddell has now been published on SSRN.

Research in synthetic biology and genomics depends on the use of collections of tissue and data, commonly known as bioresources. Substantial amounts of time and money are being spent on creating these bioresources and it is likely that significant scientific breakthroughs and development of end-products may be missed or delayed if the tissue and data in these resources are not shared. Accordingly, the ‘openness’ of these bioresources — in other words, the ability for other researchers to access, use, and share these resources (which is typically recorded in a bioresource’s IP and access policy) — is a key issue for the success of bioresource initiatives and the progress of synthetic biology and genomics.

There are, however, many different approaches to openness, and the development and dissemination of new knowledge are not necessarily advanced by distributing material at low cost or without any restrictions; time-limited rights of control (e.g. IP rights) may provide a useful incentive. It is a significant challenge to develop a fit-for-purpose openness policy that balances the advantages (and disadvantages) of different approaches to openness. The Workshop addressed this challenge by: reviewing openness policies adopted by large bioresources; eliciting ideas about access and intellectual property; debating the applicability of different openness policies; and identifying relevant areas for future research.

The report can be accessed here, and thanks and acknowledgments go to the Welcome ISSF and OpenPlant Fund. Both the Synthetic Biology SRI and OpenPlant were involved with co-organisation of funding along with Public Policy SRI and LML.

For more information please click here.

Image credit: Holly Gramazio via Flickr, licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

 via Flickr, licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

[Closes 17th February 2017] Research - Responsible Resarch and innovation (RRI) in European Practice and Funding

JOB DESCRIPTION

GenØk Centre for Biosafety has a research position available in connection with a new EU project NewHoRRIzon.

The research project “Excellence in science and innovation for Europe by adopting the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (NewHoRRIzon)” sets out to promote the acceptance of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) across all parts of the Horizon 2020 (H2020) funding program and beyond. It will work out the conceptual and operational basis to fully integrate RRI into European and national research and innovation (R&I) practice and funding.

The project will engage a wide-ranging group of R&I stakeholders in 18 Social Labs (covering all sections of H2020) to co-create tailor-made actions to stimulate an increased use and acceptance of RRI. The Social Labs will bring program staff, project coordinators, participants and other relevant experts and stakeholders together to: a) adjust existing definitions of RRI to develop a shared understanding; b) diagnose the state of RRI in each part of H2020; c) adapt existing activities as well as create and test new agreed pilot actions to promote the uptake of RRI in the specific program lines of H2020; d) transform the activities into narratives and widely disseminate them for use.

The researcher will be required to perform work in connection with several work packages of the NewHoRRIzon project. This work will include the following key tasks:

1. Lead work package 2 focused on the “Excellent Science” arm of H2020 (including the funding programs of the European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Future and Emerging Technologies and Research Infrastructure). Here the researcher will have specific responsibility for the social labs on future and emerging technologies and as work package leader, also responsibility for coordinating and reporting on the work of other partners.
2. Perform the social labs connected to the sub-program of “Food” under work package 4 focused on “Societal Challenges”. This sub-program concerns food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy.
3. Participate in the common task of drafting a manual for the work of the social labs, which will include the methodological concepts, guidelines, and templates necessary for planning, carrying out, and reporting on the process. There will also be some work involved in monitoring the social labs and communicating with the various social lab managers and facilitators.
4. Write academic articles and policy briefs for RRI stakeholders based on the research findings.
5.  Present at professional conferences and/or workshops to disseminate the idea of RRI and project’s research.

The position is offered within GenØk’s Society, Ecology and Ethics Department (SEED).The position will ideally start May 1st 2017, or as soon as possible thereafter. The position will be offered as a full-time four year position until 30.04.2021.

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Qualifications & Selection Criteria

• A PhD in social science is required. While some level of experience with RRI or ethical, legal and/or social aspects of science and/or technology (i.e. ELSA or ELSI research) is preferred, work in related fields such as sociology, anthropology, philosophy, political science or science and technology studies is acceptable.
• An excellent command of English, in both written and oral forms is required.
• A demonstrated interest in interdisciplinary research (particularly across natural and social sciences) and experience addressing its unique challenges is important.
• A demonstrated ability to organise workshops and facilitate discussion with mixed stakeholder groups is crucial for the position, as is the ability to then analyse and report on the material collected during such discussions and events.
• Previous work on emerging technologies and/or the topic of food and agriculture will be given weight.
• Previous experience working in European projects will be viewed favourably
• The ability to work independently and creatively, as well as to make positive contributions to a team will be valued.

Application

The application must be submitted electronically via the "Apply for this job" button,  before February 17th.

The applications should be written in English and include:

• A 1-2 page statement of why you are interested in the position, how you meet the selection criteria and how your background, interests and/or expertise will be of benefit
• A curriculum vitae that includes details of all previous research projects and publications, as well as any workshops, focus groups, and/or seminars organised
• Certified copies of all academic degrees
• An example of academic writing (e.g. a published article or copy of a Masters/PhD thesis)
• The names and contact details of two referees

For more information contact:

SEED Coordinator & Project Leader: Fern Wickson, fern.wickson@genok.no, tlf. 77623137

or

Head of Administration: Katrine Jaklin, katrine.jaklin@genok.no, tlf. 77645546

ABOUT THE EMPLOYER

GenØk – Centre for Biosafety is the national competence centre for biosafety in Norway and was established in 1998 as an independent research foundation connected to the research environments at the of Tromsø and the Science Park. GenØk conducts research on social and ethical aspects of emerging bio- and nanotechnologies as well as their impacts on human health and the environment. It also provides policy advice to national and international governments and institutions on biosafety issues, and delivers capacity building for scientists, regulators and civil society organisers around the world in risk assessment and regulation and emerging technologies. The institute has approximately 40 employees. Read more at:www.genok.no

The position of employment will be at the GenØk offices in Tromsø, Norway. The city of Tromsø lies above the Arctic Circle and therefore offers spectacular auroras and snow in the winter and beautiful endless days of midnight sun in the summer. In addition to unlimited opportunities for outdoor activities all year round (e.g. skiing, hiking, fishing etc), the town has an international cosmopolitan atmosphere and a wide variety of cultural events.

The salary will be negotiated within the frames of the Norwegian State’s wage code 1109 (LR24) on the basis of the candidate’s level of education, experience and qualifications. As a GenØk employee you will receive the excellent social security provisions offered in Norway, including the Norwegian public health service and GenØk’s accident insurance and retirement benefits.

GenØk has human resource policy objectives that emphasize diversity, and therefore encourages qualified applicants to apply regardless of their gender, functional ability and national or ethnic background.

For more information and application, please click here.

[Closes 21st Februrary 2017] Postdoctoral Scientist - PNAC at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

The MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) is one of the birthplaces of modern molecular biology and has played an important role in the development of many new techniques, most notably X-ray crystallography of proteins, DNA sequencing and monoclonal antibodies. The LMB has a clear goal of understanding biological processes at the molecular level, with the ultimate aim of using this knowledge to tackle specific problems in human health and disease. We aim to tackle difficult, long-term problems, which often require investment over many years.

There are four scientific Divisions - Structural Studies, Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry, Cell Biology and Neurobiology. However, scientific collaboration between the different Divisions is extensive. Scientists are well supported by excellent scientific facilities and by the LMB Operations Group which maintains the core infrastructure and services of the institute.

With the new laboratory the LMB provides an unsurpassed environment for both new and established researchers. Scientists are drawn to the LMB from all over the world, thus creating a lively and international community for the exchange of ideas and technical innovation.

Band

MRC – PostDoc

Location

Cambridge

Salary

£30,162 - £32,975

Contract Type

Fixed Term

Job Type

Science

Full Time / Part Time

Full Time

Contract Length

2 Years

Job Description

Overall purpose: 

To work within the Group of Dr. Phil Holliger at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), within a programme aimed at the development of novel technologies, in particular the development of novel technologies for biomolecular discovery. Specifically to undertake research to investigate explore and develop technologies for the targeting and delivery of therapeutic agents.

Main duties:

•  To undertake research aimed at developing novel technologies for the selection and development of XNA aptamers and antibody scFv fragments using novel high throughput screening approaches.
•  To identify, develop and apply a broad range of techniques to pursue the research objectives.
•  To present scientific work at seminars within the Laboratory and at external meetings.
•  To contribute to Laboratory-wide discussions on developments within the field.
•  To draft scientific papers, and contribute to the overall preparation of research for publication.
•  To contribute to the LMB’s mission in the public engagement of science, and the translation of research findings into improvements in health care.
•  To assist in the training of PhD Students and other members of the LMB.

Key Responsibilities:

Within the overall direction of the programme, the Group, the remit of the project and in discussion with the Group Leader, you will make a significant input into determining the direction of the project within a 2 year lifespan. 
To plan your own work and objectives on a 12 month basis and manage your experimental work within the project along with your Supervisor.
To work with limited supervision to identify, develop, modify and apply the necessary techniques to achieve the goals of the project.
To introduce and apply new techniques across a wide range of disciplines and to have the creativity and initiative to develop novel approaches and methods where required.
To ensure the research is carried out in accordance with good practice and in compliance with local policies and legal requirements.
To contribute to the smooth running of the Group, including the effective use of resources, training of others and taking responsibility for use of communal facilities.
To enhance your research and generic skills through a tailored development programme.

Working relationships: 

You will report to Dr Phil Holliger and will interact and collaborate with other Postdoctoral Scientists, Research Support Staff and Students, not only in your Group, but also across the LMB and with external Groups as necessary.

Additional information:

These are 2 year training and development positions for a Postdoctoral Scientist who has recently completed their doctoral studies, is moving into a new research discipline or has limited experience of key transferable skills. You will get the choice upon appointment of undertaking a Career Development Fellowship or the MRC Post-Doctoral Training Scheme. We support Postdoctoral Scientists with a range of formal and on-the-job training, including:
•  MRC training courses.
•  External training and personal development courses.
•  One-to-one training with your Supervisor and other Scientists.

You will commit to undertaking the following:
•  Developing and following a personal development plan.
•  Attending training courses.
•  Identifying additional training which will support you to develop your career.

Person Specification

Academic qualifications:

PhD in a biological subject or due to complete doctoral studies within 6 months of applying (in a biological subject).

Technical skills and expertise:

Experience of and ability to perform techniques relevant to the project. 

Experience in recombinant DNA technology and other standard molecular biology techniques are essential. 

Track record of research:

Demonstrated ability to develop novel experimental approaches e.g. new methodologies and techniques. Experience in presenting scientific work, both written and orally. Contributions to scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals. 

Other relevant evidence of:

•  Commitment.
•  Originality.
•  Ability to communicate.
•  Working with others.

Additional information:

Experience in next generation sequencing, data analysis, bioinformatics, machine learning and/or in vitro translation is desirable.
 

The MRC is a great place to work and progress your career, be it in scientific research or the support functions.

The MRC is a unique working environment where our researchers are rewarded by world class innovation and collaboration opportunities that the MRC name brings. The MRC is an excellent place to develop yourself further and a range of training & development opportunities will be available to you, including professional registration with the Science Council.
 

Choosing to come to work at the MRC means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a final salary pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement to access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme and childcare vouchers, as well as the chance to put the MRC on your CV in the future.

Our success is dependent upon our ability to embrace diversity and draw on the skills, understanding and experience of all our people. We welcome applications from all sections of the community irrespective of gender, race, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability or age. As "Disability Confident" employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

Final appointments will be subject to pre-employment screening.

For more information, please click here.

[Closes 6th February 2017] Senior Research Data Manager, SYNBIOCHEM Centre for Synthetic Biology

Senior Research Data Manager, SYNBIOCHEM Centre for Synthetic Biology: We are seeking to recruit a skilled dedicated (Senior) Research Data Manager (SRDM) with the expertise and experience to guide the development of, support the adoption of, and standardise the use of our leading-edge data management systems that support the Centre’s integrated interdisciplinary platforms and multiple science programmes. We require someone with the necessary expertise and experience to capture requirements and liaise with users and specialists in the Centre to develop, support, guide and standardise the adoption and development of the Centre’s Data Catalogues, Laboratory Information Management Systems, Electronic Lab Notebooks and Sample Formation Tracking systems. A strong ethos for team-based working and the ability to communicate comfortably with both computational specialists and non-computational scientists will be essential for the successful performance of this critical role. For full details please see the further particulars advertised on the University of Manchester Jobs website. Appointment will be at Grade 7 or 6 depending on experience. Closing date 06/02/17.

[Closes 18th February 2017] BriSynBio Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Responsible Research and Innovation

Applications open for BrisSynBio Post-Doctoral Research Assistant in RRI

We are seeking to appoint a BrisSynBio Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Responsible Research and Innovation. This is a full-time, fixed term post for two years. 

BrisSynBio ia a BBSRC / EPSRC-funded Synthetic Biology Research Centre based between the University of Bristol and the Universitiy of West England (UWE). The post will be based primarily with Professor Julie Kent in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences at UWE. 

The role holder will be responsible for carrying out social science/ethics research pertaining to the use of gene-editing techniques in agricultural crop breeding working closely with Professor Keith Edward’s team at the University of Bristol. The post is within the Responsible Research and Innovation Theme of BrisSynBio and will be supervised by Professor Julie Kent (UWE Bristol), Dr Darian Meacham (UWE Bristol / Maastricht University) and Professor Keith Edwards (University Bristol). 

For more information about BrisSynBio see: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/brissynbio/ 

For further details about the post and application process see: https://t.co/1HLZfnQzIo

Applicants should have some experience in social science discourses (ESLI/ELSA, RRI) surrounding gene-editing and/or agriculture, or social studies of science and technology, and a strong aptitude and appetite for inter-disciplinary research.

For further information contact k.sedgley@bristol.ac.uk or Julie.Kent@uwe.ac.uk

Deadline: 18 February 2017