Research Fellow in Glycan-lectin Interaction and Signalling Across the Membrane

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have a background in glycan-lectin interaction studies? Are you interested in exploiting multidisciplinary approaches to address challenging biological questions? Do you want to further your career in one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities?

We are looking for a highly motivated BBSRC-funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join a dynamic, interdisciplinary team, focusing on employing carbohydrates synthesis, surface biophysical and high-resolution imaging techniques to elucidate the mechanisms underlying how multivalent interactions induce protein clustering on surfaces and modulate immune cell signalling. You will actively work with supervisors from the Schools of Food Science & Nutrition, Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy and Chemical & Process Engineering. The supervision team has strong track records (see example papers, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 10833; 2020, 142, 18022; 2022, 144, 17346; Nature Chem. 2020, 12, 832; Angew. Chem. 2022, 134, e202206919; JACS Au, 2023, 3, 1755; Adv. Mater. 2021, 33, 2008307) and complimentary expertise and skills in this research field. 

You will be responsible for the chemical synthesis of target glycans, conjugating them onto nanoparticle surfaces, monitoring how their binding induces surface anchored protein clustering and re-arrangement, and correlating results with cellular function outcomes. The project aims to deepen our understanding of how extracellular multivalent binding signals are transmitted across cell membranes and regulate immune cell functions, allowing us to manipulate immune responses using multivalent glycans as potential effective treatments against infectious and autoimmune diseases and other immune dysregulation diseases, including cancer.

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route, but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

For research and academic posts, we will consider eligibility under the Global Talent visa. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent.

What we offer in return

•    26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – that’s 42 days a year!

•    Generous pension scheme plus life assurance – the University contributes 14.5% of salary.

•    Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.

•    Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.

•    Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!  

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Dr Yuan Guo

Email: y.guo@leeds.ac.uk

Professor Dejian Zhou

Email: d.zhou@leeds.ac.uk

Closing Date: 24 Mar 2025

Section: Research

Salary: £39,105 to £46,485 per annum