The Faculty of Science / the Institute for Biology is looking for a:

Technician in Streptomyces regulatory networks 

Vacancy number: 23-192

Job description
Streptomyces bacteria produce a plethora of natural products, which we harness for clinical, biotechnological and agricultural applications.  Streptomycetes still have a vast reservoir of unexplored biosynthetic potential, but many biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are not expressed in the laboratory. We aim to understand and exploit of the regulatory networks that control gene expression in Streptomyces bacteria; we will then harness this knowledge to activate and identify novel antibiotics. Large strain and mutant libraries are available in house and are being produced within the COMMUNITY project you will be involved in. 
You will be responsible for high-throughput screening and bioassays to study or strain libraries of Streptomyces and other Actinobacteria and identify the specialised metabolites produced under a range of culturing conditions, using automated equipment. 

Qualifications and skills
•    BSc or MSc in (molecular) microbiology, analytic chemistry or similar discipline 
•    Experience in analytical chemistry LC-MS and metabolomics is preferred
•    Excellent social and communication skills
•    Team player dedicated to innovative research, combined with scientific curiosity
•    Good oral and written English communication skills

Terms and conditions  
We offer a 3 year full-time, fixed-term post. Salary range from € 2.471 to € 3.336 gross per month (pay scale 7, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses(8.3 %), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. 

Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Research at our faculty
The Faculty of Science is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are committed to expand fundamental knowledge by curiosity and to look beyond the borders of their own discipline; their aim is to benefit science, and to make a contribution to addressing the major societal challenges of the future. 

The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The research activities are organised in eight institutes. These institutes offer eight bachelor’s and twelve master’s programmes. The faculty has grown strongly in recent years and now has almost 2800 staff and more than 6000 students. We are located at the heart of Leiden’s Bio Science Park, one of Europe’s biggest science parks, where university and business life come together.

For more information, see  https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science and  https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at 

The Institute for Biology
The research within the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL) aims to work on the science base of biodiversity and health, which is reflected in our leading principle Harnessing Biodiversity for Health. We perform innovative curiosity-driven research to answer fundamental questions, and solutions-driven research to help solving major societal challenges. The latter include protecting nature’s biodiversity, creating sustainable biotechnology and agriculture and increasing good health. Our research focuses on four Research Themes: Bioactive Molecules, Host-Microbe Interactions, Development & Disease and Evolution & Biodiversity. Located in a thriving scientific environment with our Faculty of Sciences,  Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, the Leiden University Medical Centre and the Leiden Bioscience Park, IBL offers an exciting, internationally oriented and inclusive place to work and study.