Postdoctoral Fellow Balchin D Lab

Job Title: Postdoctoral Fellow

Details of the role: 4-year fixed term contract, full time. Working pattern: Monday - Friday.

Salary: From £43,210 dependent on skills and experience

Application closing date: 28/02/25

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe's largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We've removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the role

The Protein Biogenesis at the Francis Crick institute is looking for a postdoc to help us understand the molecular principles underlying protein folding in vivo. Our team is focused on determining how the cellular environment shapes pathways of protein folding.

Project directions include studies of protein folding and assembly in bacteria and human cells, the coordination between protein synthesis and molecular chaperones, and principles of nascent protein quality control at the ribosome.

Our group was established in 2020, and currently consists of 3 postdocs, 3 PhD students and 2 research scientists. We are committed to maintaining a supportive and collaborative research environment, and we particularly value collegiality and open scientific discussion.

What you will be doing

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Crick, a number of projects are available, depending on the interest and expertise of the applicant. Open questions include:

• What conformations do nascent and stress-denatured proteins adopt in vivo?
• What is the function of molecular chaperones during cotranslational folding?
• How are defective nascent polypeptides recognised and routed to quality control machinery?
• What are the molecular principles underlying substrate recognition by chaperones?

Methods used in the group include biochemical reconstitution, hydrogen/deuterium exchange- and crosslinking-mass spectrometry, cryo-electron microscopy, proteomics and fluorescence microscopy.

About you

You will bring

• PhD awarded or in the final stages of PhD submission
• Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications, preprints or submitted manuscripts
• Expertise in protein biochemistry
• Experience in mechanistic studies of protein folding, molecular chaperones, or ribosomes.

To see the complete job description click here .

To see more about role/team click here.

About Working at the Crick

Our values

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick's mission and shaping our culture!

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We're not afraid to do things differently.
• We are open. We're highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we'll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email:

To find out more about life at the Crick click here .

What will you receive?

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK

Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.

Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.

Health & Well-being:

• 24/7 GP consultation services.
• Occupational health services and mental health support programs.
• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.

Work-Life Balance:

• Back-up care for dependents.
• Childcare support allowance.
• Annual leave purchase options.

Perks:

• Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts.
• Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Development & Recognition: Comprehensive training, mentoring, and a pay structure with performance-linked progression.