Research Assistant

Applications are invited for a highly motivated Research Assistant to join the McEwan laboratory at the UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge. Our group studies the molecular mechanisms of protein aggregation and its clearance in neurodegenerative disease.

The successful candidate will play a central role in the new UK DRI Human Tau Assemblies platform. They will be responsible for the production of well characterised tau samples for use in mechanistic studies across the UK DRI. This will include:

• Expression, purification and quality control of recombinant tau from E. coli and mammalian tissue culture sources
• Communication with colleagues across the UK DRI to co-ordinate production and distribution of samples
• Contributing to the management of the lab, for example by ordering reagents, assisting with scheduling of equipment repair, etc.

We welcome applications from candidates with a background in biochemistry, molecular biology or related disciplines. The role will require careful attention to reproducibility, dedicated record keeping and a strong ability to work collaboratively as part of a team. An aptitude for practical laboratory work, and experience in protein handling is desirable. Experience in mammalian cell culture or protein aggregation is also desirable but training will be provided.

About the UK DRI Human Tau Assemblies Platform Tau assemblies play a central role in neurodegenerative processes, occurring in approximately 20 distinct diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Recent advances have demonstrated that specific tau conformers exist in each human disease, implying that tau conformation may be critical to disease manifestation. Working with tau is challenging due to the wide range of different structures it can adopt, which reduces reproducibility between and within labs. The UK DRI Human Tau Assemblies Platform will provide researchers with sources of tau that have undergone standardised processes and which are appropriate the biological question. These include recombinant tau and cell-propagated hyperphosphorylated fibrils amplified from patient samples.