Research Fellow - Postdoctoral researcher

Post Specification

Post Title: Research Fellow - Postdoctoral researcher 

Post Status: Specific purpose contract, full-time 

Research Group / Department / School: Discipline of Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin 

Location: The Moyne Institute of Preventative Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland 

Reports to: Dr Nicky O’Boyle Terms & Conditions: Appointment will be made at a position on the IUA scale commensurate with experience (IUA Scale PD1 [€46,305 - €52,863] or PD2 [€54,307 - €59,063]) 

Hours of Work: Fulltime 

Closing Date: 11:59PM (Irish Standard Time), 31st May 2025

Post Summary
Applications are invited for a motivated and self-driven postdoctoral researcher to join The O’Boyle Group based in The Department of Microbiology, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin. The project will involve the development and in vitro testing of therapeutics against Crohn’s disease-associated Enterobacteriaceae.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises distinct clinical subtypes, with unique microbial associations, pathological features and responses to treatment. Ileal Crohn’s disease (ICD) has the strongest association with over-proliferation of a specific family of bacteria, the Enterobacteriaceae. While their role in disease progression is poorly understood, they are considered an attractive target for therapies aimed at dampening IBD-associated inflammation. This project will involve the isolation and characterisation of opportunistic Enterobacteriaceae from intestinal biopsies, development of patient-derived organoids, metabolomics, metagenomics, advanced microscopy, dietary analysis, and classic microbiology. The project will be further supported by Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) whereby a team comprising inflammatory bowel disease patients and their family members will co-design elements of the research.
 

The appointed postdoc will be based at The Moyne Institute of Preventative Medicine and will form part of a vibrant multidisciplinary collaborative team including supervisor Dr Nicky O’Boyle, a PhD student, clinical gastroenterologists Prof Subrata Ghosh (University College Cork) and Prof Marietta Iacucci (University College Cork), biochemist Dr Susan Joyce (University College Cork), and nutritional scientist Prof Jens Walter (University College Cork).
Additional funding will be provided for conference attendance and professional development.
The anticipated start date is 1st September 2025.

Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post
The successful applicant will:
• Isolate, culture, and characterise bacterial strains from patient tissues
• Develop intestinal organoids from patient biopsies and design experiments to test novel therapeutics
• Process sensitive patient samples in a timely manner, including occasional travel to UCC to collect samples
• Responsibly process and maintain sensitive patient data
• Carry out multi-omics analysis including metabolomics and metagenomics
• Keep accurate, up-to-date, detailed records of research
• Participate in the scientific and intellectual developments within the group
• Report regularly to the project supervisor
• Contribute to dissemination in the form of research papers, review articles, and conference presentations
• Work closely, and contribute to the training and development of other team members (Undergraduate students, MSc students, PhD students, and Research Assistants)

Funding Information
This project is funded by a Health Research Board Emerging Investigator Award.

Qualifications
Applicants should hold a minimum upper-second class (2:1) honours degree (or equivalent) in a Bachelors degree, as well as a PhD, any of the following areas: Microbiology, Cell Biology, Clinical Microbiology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Immunology, Genetics, or other related life science discipline.

Application Procedure
Applicants should submit a full Curriculum Vitae to include publication list and the names and contact details of 2 referees (including email addresses), to:-

Dr Nicky O’Boyle
Email: oboylen1@tcd.ie

Further Information for Applicants
URL Link to Area: www.tcd.ie
URL Link to Human Resources: https://www.tcd.ie/hr/