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Job description

A 1-year research assistantship is currently available in the Wu research group and the recruitment process is opened to fill the vacant position as soon as possible.

The student will be based in the University of Bradford and will be involved in a research project fully focused on synthetic organic chemistry. More information about the project below.

Nucleotide derivatives have been used in medical applications for treatment of viruses and a wide variety of cancers. There are only a few nucleotide-based drugs derived from a limited number of naturally occurring sugar nucleotides. Limited synthetic accessibility has hampered the study on a large number of nucleotides. It is widely believed that their chemical synthesis is extremely difficult — poor regioselectivity requires multiple steps and complex reaction routes, which often result in low yields, high preparation cost and tedious product isolation.

In contrast to the conventional synthetic approaches mentioned above, we are working on the development of a cascade conversion system (domino reaction, formation of multiple bonds sequentially in a single step without needing to isolate the intermediate), using a class of novel synthon to be folded into a sugar backbone. By establishing this cost-effective and practical-to-use technology, we would establish a method for producing a wide range of artificial nucleotide analogues that could be tested for medicinal and other purposes. Our previous work on cascade cycloaddition / cyclisation for more details: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/ob/d2ob00677d

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/cc/c9cc00537d

The successful candidate will explore new avenues in the field of transition metal catalysis, working on the discovery, the study and the optimisation of novel organic cascade reactions.

The student will work at the Richmond Building of University of Bradford and will develop extensive skills in organic chemical synthesis and spectroscopy and receive substantial training in palladium catalysis, phosphite chemistry: all fields which are increasingly popular in both academia and industry.

The ideal candidate will hold a degree in Chemistry, or related, and have developed a strong interest in the field of synthetic organic chemistry. The start date for this project will be March 2023. The research assistantship will be part-time and gives students flexibility to balance study and research lab work. The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate has been found, hence candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Anna Wu for more details or enquires about the project.

Requirements

The position is available for UK students and international students. A MSc-4-year integrated Master’s, a BSc + MSc, a BSc or a year 3 undergraduate with substantial research experience will be highly advantageous.

Funding Notes

Research assistantship to commence in March 2023. The research assistant works 4 hours per day, stipend £10,000 per annum. Alternatively, the asisstant can choose to work full-time (8 hours per day) for a 6-month research assistantship. Working time can be flexible and the assistant can discuss this with Dr. Anna Wu.

How to apply

Please send a research summary and CV to Dr. Wu detailing your previous research experience and current research interests.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Temporary contract, Apprenticeship, Internship
Contract length: 12 months
Part-time hours: 20 per week

Salary: £830.00-£1,600.00 per month

Benefits:

• Flexitime

Schedule:

• Flexitime
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Bradford: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

Education:

• Bachelor's (preferred)

Work Location: One location

Application deadline: 01/03/2023
Reference ID: organic chemistry research assistant (flexible time) at University of Bradford
Expected start date: 01/03/2023