Applications are invited for the above posts tojoin a multidisciplinary consortium located in laboratories of the CellBiophysics Group (see: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~mazpso/) and theApplied Optics Group (see: http://www.eee.nott.ac.uk/optics/) at theUniversity of Nottingham and funded by the RCUK Basic TechnologyProgramme. This consortium involves collaboration betweenbioscientists, chemists, physicists and electronic engineers atNottingham and Exeter Universities.

The overall project is to build ‘next-generation' array technologieswith applications in important biomedical areas includingneuropathological disease (such as Alzheimers disease), mutationalscreening and drug development. Wholly new technological developmentswill be undertaken with unprecedented sensitivities and throughputcapabilities.

Post 1 - Required to develop specific bio-functionalisation of a numberof different surfaces. This will involve the attachment of a number ofdifferent molecular species to solid surfaces in order they can beinterrogated using novel sensor technologies. Candidates are likely topossess training in biological chemistry, organic chemistry, physicalchemistry or materials science. This post will be offered on afixed-term contract for a period of four years. Please quote ref. MS/01.

Post 2 - Required to utilise the new functionalised arrays and comparethem to existing arrays with a view to optimising their performance.Commercial arrays for cDNA, oligonucleotide and protein-protein andprotein-ligand interactions and identification will be employed andcandidates with some experience in these techniques are welcome. Thispost will be offered on a fixed-term contract for a period of twoyears. Please quote ref. MS/02.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor P O'Shea, Cell Biophysics Group, Email: Paul.Oshea@Nottingham.ac.uk.

Post 3 - As an essential part of the process of providing an integratedapproach to the development of array technologies, it is necessary todevelop innovative optical sensor solutions, which are capable ofdetecting the small changes in the optical signal resulting from theinteraction of the sensor surface with the target bio-molecules. Tothis end, we propose to develop custom detection arrays capable ofmeasuring the resulting optical signals. Therefore, and imaginative andmotivated engineer is required with excellent electronics knowledge tospearhead this development. Experience in CMOS design and simulation isespecially advantageous, as it will form a major part of this project.The ability to understand and relate the detector requirements to thecomplete system integrated system is also very desirable. This postwill be offered on a fixed-term contract for a period of four years.Please quote ref. MS/03.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor M Somekh, tel: 0115951 5572, Email: Mike.Somekh@Nottingham.ac.uk or Dr M Pitter, Email:Mark.Pitter@Nottingham.ac.uk.

Salary for all posts will be within the range £19,460 - £29,128 perannum, depending on qualifications and experience (£21,640 maximumwithout PhD).

Candidates should send a detailed CV, together with the names andaddressed of two referees, to Emma Poole, School of Electrical andElectronic Engineering, The University of Nottingham, University Park,Nottingham NG7 2RD.
Email: Emma.Poole@Nottingham.ac.uk. Please quote relevant reference number. Closing date: 23 September 2005.