Job Title: Scientist, Protein Science
Location: Stevenage
Job Type: 12-month contract
Agencies: We will only work with recruitment partners on our preferred supplier list and will not engage with speculative CVs submitted.
Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.
About the role:
The Biologics Discovery and Department group at LifeArc focuses on building platforms and driving projects aligned with LifeArc’s ambitious Translational challenges to serve unmet medical needs. This role sits within Protein Science team, where you will design protein expression constructs, produce proteins in transient mammalian systems and bacteria, purify them using various chromatographic techniques, and characterise the purified materials with basic biophysical methods. Your work will support LifeArc’s drug discovery programmes by generating essential protein reagents for various uses, including immunisation, screening, and drug candidate characterisation for antibody, small molecule, and protac projects. You will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams, gaining and applying diverse skillsets across the organisation.
We are seeking a talented Protein Scientist passionate about generating high-quality protein reagents for drug discovery. This is a 12-month maternity cover position.
About you:
You will
- Analyse target proteins using the literature and public databases, design expression constructs, and produce the proteins using mammalian and bacterial systems
- Carry out basic molecular biology techniques, including DNA purification using commercial kits, bacterial transformation, PCR, and other cloning techniques
- Develop methods and execute purification of the target proteins using the AKTA Avant or Pure system using various chromatographic techniques (including IMAC, IEX, and SEC purifications)
- Perform and analyse basic characterisation techniques of the supernatant and purified target proteins (including A280, SDS-PAGE, Western Blot, DLS, and SEC-HPLC
- Demonstrate and maintain knowledge in own area of expertise and apply it to the successful execution of experiments
- Provide verbal and written reports/presentations internally when required.
- Maintain laboratory notebooks and other data to company standards.
- Perform all work demonstrating due care and attention to all internal processes and procedures including health & safety and COSHH regulations
Education & experience required:
- PhD in a relevant discipline/field OR BSc/MSc Degree with relevant laboratory experience in an industrial or academic setting
- Experience in expressing proteins in transient mammalian cell systems (CHO and HEK293) and bacteria, purifying proteins using AKTA systems, and characterising the proteins produced
- Experience in construct design and molecular biology (including using the molecular biology software/online tools, PCR, bacterial transformation, and DNA purification using commercial kits)
Desirable:
- Experience in structural biology, especially in using protein structure visualisation software such as PyMOL
- Experience in screening for optimal expression and purification, as well as troubleshooting the production of challenging proteins
- Knowledge in optimising and performing protein labelling techniques, such as biotinylation
Skills & abilities:
- A proven ability to conduct independent research
- Curious and inquisitive, with a problem-solving mindset
- Good communication skills to enable effective working with the Protein Science and project teams and other relevant stakeholders
About us:
At LifeArc, our ambition is to make life science life changing. We do this by advancing scientific discoveries beyond the lab, faster, so that they can shape the next generation of diagnostics, treatments, and cures.
Working at the cutting edge of translational science and as the early-stage translation specialists, we progress scientific discoveries on their journey to becoming a medicine, diagnostic or intervention that improve patients’ lives. Our work begins by seeking out innovative science, then helping to develop this to a point where there is a clinical and commercial pathway for others to invest the time and money to take it further forward.
What we can offer you:
Focused on finding life changing solutions for underserved patients, our people thrive in an inclusive, and supportive environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. Our multidisciplinary approach guarantees our people growth opportunities, while our culture of innovation and collaboration drives the impact we make delivering on our purpose of ‘putting patients at the centre of everything we do’.
We are dedicated to creating a diverse, flexible, equitable and happy work environment so our colleagues can thrive as their truest selves. We act with courage, curiosity, care & commitment to deliver quality & excellence for our patients and each other Join us, and you’ll be given the scope to develop your professional skills and experience in a safe, supportive and challenging environment
Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate, and you may be just right for this or other roles.
We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.