Postdoctoral Research Associate

I am recruiting a wet-lab Postdoctoral Research Associate in livestock genome engineering to join a collaborative project at The Roslin Institute. The project aims to generate and validate new DNA edits that can improve the productivity of dairy cattle in tropical smallholder systems.

The wider project combines AI models, high-throughput gene reporter assays, and quantitative genetics. Together, these let us characterise edits that tune the expression of genes linked to milk production and feed efficiency. Your main role will be to take the most promising edits and test them in their native genomic context in cattle cells, using precision genome editing.

What you'll be doing:

🔬 Developing and using genome engineering approaches in bovine cells

📊 Measuring how edits change gene expression across relevant cell types

🤝 Working closely with machine learning researchers, computational biologists and quantitative geneticists

🌍 Building links with academic, industry and breeding partners focused on livestock in low- and middle-income countries

If you have a background in genome editing and cell biology and want to apply it to real-world food security challenges to improve smallholder farmer livelihoods, we'd love to hear from you.

📍 Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, UK

💷 £41,064 – £48,822 (UE07)

⏳ Full-time, fixed-term for 3 years

📅 Closing date: 19 October 2026

🌐 The University may be able to sponsor visas for this role

Informal enquiries to Musa: Musa.Hassan@roslin.ed.ac.uk

Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eiZaBbKM

Please share with anyone who might be interested! 🙏

I will also be opening another postdoctoral researcher position soon to work on identifying molecular mechanisms underlying bovine responses to Toxoplasma and Neospora. This will also be mostly wet-lab and will require skills in molecular biology and/or parasitology. Candidates with experience in high-throughput parasitological and genome engineering approaches will have an added advantage.