Research Assistant

Post Status: Specific Purpose Contract – Full-time.

Research Group / Department / School: TB Immunology Group, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin

Location: Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James’s Hospital Campus, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin James’s Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.

Reports to: Dr Donal Cox & Prof. Joseph Keane

Salary: Appointment will be made on the appropriate Research Assistant Point in line with Government Pay Policy [€32962 to €35945 per annum], appointment will be made no higher than point 5.

Hours of Work: 39 hours per week.

Post Summary

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global challenge causing more than one million deaths annually. TB therapy is characterised by a long duration of treatment and the administration of several antibiotic drugs to overcome drug resistance. The increasing prevalence of drug-resistant TB demonstrates that current treatments are inadequate and there is an urgent need for novel therapies. Research is now focused on the development of host-directed therapies which can be used in combination with existing antimicrobials, with a special focus on promoting host defense, particularly cellular metabolism. The current post focuses on the use of new and innovative strategies, aimed at boosting the host response, increasing antibiotic efficacy and decreasing our reliance on antibiotics in the clinic. Further details of Prof. Joe Keane’s research group can be found at http://people.tcd.ie/josephmk. The appointee will work as part of a team of post-doctoral scientists and graduate students led by Professor Keane. The tuberculosis immunology research group uses primary human cells and molecular biology techniques to study macrophage responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, and macrophage interactions with other immune cells after infection. Techniques that will be employed by the successful candidate will include cell culture, ELISA, RT-qPCR, cell migration assays, flow cytometry and Seahorse metabolic flux assays.

Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post

The appointee will process blood and bronchial lavage samples and will undertake laboratory experiments to support the research activities of the supervisor or project to which the research assistant is assigned. In addition, the appointee will pro-actively support the day-to-day running of the lab by doing general lab and administrative duties and will aid in the supervision of students working on research projects related to the supervisor. Moreover, the candidate will help perform experiments for the acquisition of preliminary data for prospective research grant proposals.

Person Specification

Qualifications

BA/BSc in biological sciences or a relevant discipline (minimum).