Research Technician

UE05 £29,588 - £33,951 per annum

CSE / School of Biological Sciences / Institute of Cell Biology

Full Time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: 12 months

The Opportunity: 

Investigating how cell size alters global gene expression in mammalian cells.  

We are seeking highly motivated candidates to join the Swaffer lab as a lab technician to work on how cell size impacts gene expression. We're a multi-disciplinary group that combines approaches across cell, molecular, systems & quantitative biology to study how core cellular processes are altered by cell size.  

Cell size is a fundamental but poorly understood cellular property, but it is known to be linked to ageing and cancer. This project will involve engineering different mammalian cell lines using CRISPR knock-out and knock-in constructs to build on recent progress from our work in yeast (Swaffer et al., Cell 2023) and aims to test key conclusions in mammalian cell lines. This project will involve using quantitative imaging and sequencing-based assays to investigate how transcriptional machinery and chromatin organisation alter as cell size increases. Candidates do not need specific expertise in relevant techniques, as all training will be provided.  

 
Your skills and attributes for success:  

• Strong motivation to contribute to a novel area of cell biology research: i.e. cell size. 
• Strong organisational, communication and critical thinking skills to drive success working both independently and as part of a collaborative team.  
• Understanding of standard techniques in molecular biology and mammalian cell culture. 

View the full job description.

How to apply 

Please include the following documents in your application:

• CV 
   
• Motivation statement detailing your research experience, interests and motivations for joining the lab 

Please contact the hiring manager (Dr. Matthew Swaffer at [email protected]) for any queries. Informal enquiries are encouraged. 

 
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:  

To be part of an exciting, creative, and rigorous research team. The Swaffer lab is based within the Institute for Cell Biology which provides an inclusive, supportive, and highly collaborative scientific environment supported by state-of-the-art technology facilities via the Discovery Research Platform for Hidden Cell Biology. You will benefit from expert training in cutting-edge approaches in cell, molecular and systems biology as well as wider career mentoring and support to nurture your talents and drive success. You will benefit from a competitive reward package and a wide range of staff benefits, including generous holiday entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and more. Click to access our staff benefits page (opens new browser tab) for further information and use our reward calculator to find out the total value of pay and benefits provided. 

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion 

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.  

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages 

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.  

Key dates to note 

The closing date for applications is 16 July 2026. 

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.