Increased infectiousness of coronavirus variants explained
Researchers from the Universities of Dundee and Oxford have made a discovery that helps explain why variations in the virus that causes Covid-19 spread so rapidly.
Scientific Support Officer in Cryo-Electron Microscopy
The School of Life Sciences are seeking applications for a Scientific Support Officer in Cryo-Electron Microscopy.
The appointee will maintain and run the facility on a day to day basis, including managing bookings, training users, assisting with sample preparation and ensuring the safe operation of the microscope.
Grade: 7 (£32,817 - £40,322)
Closing date: 2 October 2021
For more information and how to apply, please click here.
Fertility Genomics

Fertility Genomics (FG) is both a B to C and a B to B, DNA testing company, that aims to advise its clients (infertile couples or IVF clinics), which assisted conception method will have the best chance of succeeding for themselves or their customers. FG is a start up company based on the world leading research of Dr Sean Brown a senior lecturer at Abertay University. It was founded by Dr Douglas Lester a former medical genetic lecturer at Abertay University.
FG posts out a simple saliva kit direct to individual customers. These kits are posted back to FG in a postage prepaid envelope. DNA is then extracted from these samples, which is then used to carry out whole exome sequencing of all 22,000 genes. Any relevant male or female fertility genes are then analysed using our novel Fertility Probability Score (FPS). Our FPS determines the probability of the possible success of IVF for a particular customer. If this is particularly low, our customers are advised to use either the direct sperm injection method (ICSI) or enhanced ICSI.
Dr Brown is a world leading fertility physiologist, who was the first to identify both physiologically and genetically the underlying cause of unexplained male infertility patient, who was shown to be homozygous for a pathogenic variant in the CATSPERE gene. Dr Lester has 40 years postgraduate experience in medical genetics. For his PhD he helped identify several novel dominant pathogenic variants in the Rhodopsin protein, that were shown to be the cause of Retinitis Pigmentosa in several different patients. He also was the first in the world to identify the human UBE2J1 gene, which has been shown to cause male infertility in knockout mice.
New fertility test to give unprecedented DNA insights into chances of conception
TUESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER
Drawing inspiration from heartbreak: University’s comic encourages organ donation
The transformative impact of new organ donation legislation in Scotland is being highlighted in a University of Dundee comic.
Farewell to Caird Hall after 135,000 jabs
After eight months and 135,000 vaccinations, the community vaccination centre at Caird Hall will host its final day of jabs on Monday, 20 September.