Biological Curator - Chemical Biology Resources

European Bioinformatics Institute | EMBL-EBI; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Private medical insurance

30 days annual leave

Relocation package

Visa support

Job summary

European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is seeking a Scientist focused on data curation to ensure high-quality bioactivity and drug discovery data in the ChEMBL database. The role involves collaboration with chemo- and bioinformaticians, software engineers, and external partners on EMBL-EBI's Wellcome Genome Campus.

You will curate, annotate and map data, develop semi-automated quality controls, and contribute to training and user support while publishing outcomes in scientific journals.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in biological or biomedical science.
• Excellent knowledge of pharmacology and mechanisms of drug action.
• Experience in bioactivity data curation and annotations.
• Ability to work to deadlines and in teams.
• Strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Curate bioactivity data in the ChEMBL database.
• Map measured bioactivity data to proteins, cell lines, etc., using ontologies.
• Collaborate with EMBL-EBI teams to integrate ChEMBL data.
• Identify new data types and annotations for community needs.
• Identify and validate potential therapeutic targets from various sources.
• Work with data depositors to format data for deposition in ChEMBL.
• Manually annotate data referencing original sources.
• Develop semi-automated data quality processes.
• Contribute to training and user support.
• Publish project outcomes in peer-reviewed articles.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Teamwork

Independence

Data curation

Education

PhD in biological or biomedical science

Tools

Bioinformatics databases

Ontologies

SQL

FAST A

Excel

XML

OBO

Regular expressions

Job description

About The Team

The Chemical Biology Resources Team at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is looking for a talented Scientist with a flair for data curation to be responsible for the quality of bioactivity and drug discovery data in the ChEMBL database.

The Chemical Biology Resources Team at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is looking for a talented Scientist with a flair for data curation to be responsible for the quality of bioactivity and drug discovery data in the ChEMBL database. ChEMBL is a world-leading chemogenomics resource, providing open bioactivity data and associated tools to the scientific community. ChEMBL is widely used through both academia and industry to support drug discovery. You will work in a team-oriented environment, collaborating closely with fellow scientists and technical experts, chemo- and bio-informaticians and software engineers across EMBL-EBI and with our many external partners from the UK and internationally.

Your role

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the curation of biological data in the ChEMBL database. Reporting to the ChEMBL Team Coordinator, you will:

• work together with the other members of the ChEMBL data team to curate bioactivity data in the ChEMBL database ensuring the delivery of high quality data
• map measured bioactivity data from the scientific literature to other biological entities (proteins, cell-lines etc) using a variety of bioinformatics resources and ontologies
• work collaboratively with other EMBL-EBI teams to integrate ChEMBL data into their resources and vice versa
• proactively identify new data types and additional annotations that address the needs of the community
• identify and validate the potential therapeutic targets of drug molecules and compounds in clinical development from a variety of sources
• work with data depositors to help them format and curate their data to the standards required for deposition into ChEMBL
• manually check and annotate data by reference to the original data sources such as the scientific literature, Pharma Company pipelines and prescribing information
• develop semi-automated processes for identifying and correcting erroneous data
• be actively involved in training and external user support
• work with other team members to publish project outcomes in scientific articles in the peer-reviewed literature

You have

• You will have excellent attention to details, strong communication skills and be able to interact with technical experts as well as scientists seeking solutions to their "real world" problems.
• A PhD (or equivalent) in a biological or biomedical science
• Excellent knowledge of pharmacology, potential biological targets and mechanisms of drug action
• Good knowledge of the various experimental techniques used to determine the activity of compounds in different in vitro and in vivo assay systems
• Ability to work accurately and quickly to deadlines
• Able to work both as part of a team and independently
• Good communication skills (both verbal and presentational)

You might also have

• Prior experience of biological data curation and knowledge of bioinformatics databases
• Some knowledge of biological ontologies
• Experience of working in a drug discovery environment
• Experience of working with and manipulating file formats such as FASTA, Excel, XML, OBO and familiarity with regular expressions and text matching
• Experience of querying relational databases using SQL would also be advantageous

Behaviours

Our Ideal Candidate Embraces

• Open mindset – welcoming diverse ideas and perspectives.
• Professional outlook - ensuring meticulous attention to quality and detail.
• Teamwork – working together for shared success.
• Respect – treating all colleagues with professionalism and kindness
• Inclusivity – allowing everyone space to shine in their own way.

Contract length: 3 years, renewable to a maximum of 9 years

Salary: Grade 5, salary from £3,452.02 after tax, plus generous financial benefits and allowances based on family circumstances. Excluding personal pension and insurance contributions.

Why join us

Do something meaningful

At EMBL-EBI you can apply your talent and passion to accelerate science and tackle some of humankind's greatest challenges. EMBL-EBI, part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, is a worldwide leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets. We provide the global research community with access to publicly available databases and tools which are crucial for the advancement of healthcare, food security, and biodiversity.

Join a culture of innovation

We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, alongside other prominent research and biotech organisations, and surrounded by beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. This is a highly collaborative and inclusive community where our employees enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. We are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their professional potential. Watch this video to see how EMBL-EBI makes an impact.

Enjoy Lots Of Benefits

• Financial incentives: Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances
• Flexible working arrangements - including hybrid working patterns
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition public holidays
• Relocation package including installation grant (if required)
• Campus life: Free shuttle bus to and from work, on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)
• Family benefits: On-site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances
• Benefits for non-UK residents: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.

For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here.

What else you need to know

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Please take a look at our International Applicants page for further information.
• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.
• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and/or any other diverse backgrounds.

Closing Date

05/10/2026