A New Science of Death: Microbial Mortality as a Window into the Architecture and Meaning of Life

We invite applications for five postdoctoral research fellowships funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation in a project entitled “A New Science of Death: Microbial Mortality as a Window into the Architecture and Meaning of Life”.

This project is the first step in our long-term scientific goal of discovering how the ways in which living organisms die have shaped life from its origins to the present day. The project combines experimental science with sustained engagement from scholars in the arts, humanities and social sciences (AHSS), creating a uniquely interdisciplinary framework for understanding death as both a biological process and societal phenomenon.

Project Director Prof Wilson Poon (Edinburgh) and co-Director Prof Cait MacPhee will coordinate a team of scientists – Prof Filippo Menolascina and Dr Aidan Brown (Edinburgh), Prof Teuta Pilizota (Cambridge), Prof Stuart West (Oxford) and Prof Martin Cann (Durham) – to study how microbes die and the fate of the biomolecules that remain in the ecosystems they occupied. Throughout the project, these scientists will engage in an ongoing dialogue with scholars from AHSS, coordinated by Prof Jane Calvert (Edinburgh) and Dr Fred Simmons (Center for Theological Sciences, Princeton) to facilitate a genuine two-way exchange of knowledge, exploring the wider implications of the scientific research while allowing perspectives from the AHSS disciplines to inform the experimental programme.

The fellows will work in five science work packages that examine how stressed cells transition toward death (Cambridge, working with Prof Teuta Pilizota), how dead cells are broken down into nutrients for other living organisms (Durham, working with Prof Martin Cann), how death can shape the architecture of microbial communities (Edinburgh, working with Prof Cait MacPhee and Filippo Menolascina), the evolution of death strategies (Oxford, working with Prof Stuart West) and the energetics of death (Edinburgh, working with Dr Aidan Brown).

The specific requirements for each post are detailed separately, but we expect each appointee to have the aptitude and interest to contribute to other work packages and to show a genuine interest in the wider transdisciplinary explorations. In particular, they will play a full role in three annual workshops exploring the theological, philosophical and sociological dimensions of the emerging science of microbial death.

Working at Durham University

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The Role and Department

Biosciences is one of the very best departments in the UK (2^nd Guardian 2027, 4^th Complete University Guide 2027) and it has an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research, and the employability of our students. The department provides a dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment, with the Cann group located within bespoke laboratories for interdisciplinary work at the biology-chemistry interface

The Role

Death is ubiquitous in biology and fundamentally important to life. Across ecosystems, nutrients locked within dead organisms are recycled and reused to support the growth of new life. Yet not all nutrients are equally valuable. Some biomolecules can be used immediately, whereas others require substantial processing before they can be assimilated.

This raises a fundamental question: have organisms evolved mechanisms that continue to function after death, transforming cellular material into forms that other organisms can more readily reuse?

Our recent work identified the bacterial Lon protease as one such mechanism, demonstrating that cellular proteins can continue to be degraded after death into fragments readily taken up by neighbouring cells (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56761-6). We now hypothesise that this phenomenon is widespread and that many bacterial enzymes possess dual functions: roles in the physiology of living cells and previously unrecognised post-mortem activities that promote nutrient recycling.

To test this hypothesis, the successful candidate will combine transcriptomics, metabolomics, genetics and large-scale Escherichia coli mutant collections to identify gene products that function after death and determine how they contribute to nutrient acquisition by living bacteria. The project will combine experimental microbiology with systems-level approaches to uncover the molecular mechanisms linking death to nutrient recycling. The work will provide fundamental insights into how bacterial communities recycle nutrients and how post-mortem biochemical processes shape ecosystem function.

The postdoctoral researcher will be based in the laboratory of Professor Martin Cann in the Department of Biosciences at Durham University and will be part of a major interdisciplinary consortium involving researchers at Durham, Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge. Together, the consortium seeks to establish a new understanding of death as an active biological process that shapes ecosystems through nutrient recycling.

Publications from the PI in this and related fields can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=cann+mj&sort=pubdate&size=200

Key responsibilities:

To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.

This post is fixed term for 36 months, for this period only, due to the constraints of the available funding

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by January 2027

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:

You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries

Prof Martin Cann at m.j.cann@durham.ac.uk . All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).

How to Apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What to Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

a CV and cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below.

Next Steps

The assessment for the post will normally include an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place as soon as practical after the close of the advert.

In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our Purpose and Values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive.

We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.

If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.

The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. 

Durham University is a UKVI sponsor. Applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK should note that not all roles are eligible. Further information on visa requirements and eligibility can be found on the UKVI website.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

Qualifications

A good first degree in biological sciences or chemistry
A PhD in molecular bioscience or biochemistry or microbiology or a related subject OR be close to being awarded.

Experience

Experience in conducting high quality academic research.
Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals.
Demonstrable ability to present research papers at national and international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.
Experience in molecular biosciences.
Experience in microbiology

Skills

8. Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.

9. Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.

10. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Desirable Criteria

Experience

Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career.
A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with stage of career.
Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.
Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g. acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects/practicals.
Experience in molecular evolution.

Skills

Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.

Version 07-2026

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Molecular Biosciences

Requirements

Job Description

Education

Skills