Assistant Research Professor in Membrane Biophysics and Origin-of-Life Research, University of Cambridge
Job Description
Cambridge’s Department of Biochemistry is hiring an Assistant Research Professor at the interface of membrane biophysics and origin-of-life research, in the Bonfio Laboratory. The salary is £47,389 to £59,966 a year and applications close on 11 October 2026.
At a glance
- Post: Assistant Research Professor in Membrane Biophysics and Origin-of-Life Research
- Where: Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge
- Salary: £47,389 to £59,966 a year
- Reference: PH51253
- Apply by: 11 October 2026
Read the official University of Cambridge advertisement before you apply.
About the work
The project pushes the boundaries of primitive cell biophysics, exploring how primitive membranes could have acquired key life-like behaviours on the early Earth. Research in the Bonfio Laboratory focuses on the chemical origins and properties of early lipid membranes and compartments.
Key responsibilities are conducting an independent research project, assisting with ongoing projects in the laboratory, supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students, and contributing to laboratory management. That mix, an independent line plus real responsibility for the group, is what distinguishes this from a standard postdoc.
What you need
- An experienced membrane biophysicist who has worked with biophysical methods for characterising fatty-acid and phospholipid membranes
- Specifically, spectroscopy and microscopy experience on such membranes
- The ambition to run an independent project alongside the group’s work
Pay
The advertised range is £47,389 to £59,966 a year. This is a fixed-term post.
How to apply
Apply online through the Cambridge job page. Quote reference PH51253 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
Check this first. The University states that it has a responsibility to ensure all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you are applying from outside the UK, read the visa position for this post before you spend time on the application.
Browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in, or search our Find a supervisor page.
Hiring institution: University of Cambridge
Official advertisement: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk
How to prepare for this application
- Fatty-acid membranes are the specific system. Protocell work is different from standard phospholipid biophysics; say which you know.
- This post carries supervision and lab management. Show you have done both.
- Quote the reference, PH51253. Cambridge asks for it on the form and in every email about the post.
- Check your right to work in the UK. Every Cambridge advert carries this condition, and it is the usual reason an overseas application stalls.
About the University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 and is one of the world's leading research universities. Its research posts are advertised centrally at jobs.cam.ac.uk, with each department running its own selection.