Industrial Placement - Development - Developability and Immunotoxicity Assessment - 9-12 Months

Alchemab; Whittlesford; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Alchemab Therapeutics is seeking an Industrial Placement Student for a 9-12 month program in Whittlesford, UK. This role offers hands-on experience in drug discovery, focusing on developability and immunotoxicity assessments. You will work within a collaborative team, gaining valuable skills and contributing to impactful scientific projects.

Benefits

Mentoring from experienced scientists

Hands-on lab experience

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a BSc in a scientific field or equivalent.
• Completed at least 1 year of undergraduate course.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Design and run high throughput assays for biophysical properties.
• Assist in immunotoxicity risk assessment and bring assays in-house.
• Support biomarker analysis and data enrichment.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Communication

Teamworking

Education

BSc in a scientific field or equivalent

Job description

Industrial Placement Student – Industrial Placement Student – Developability and Immunotoxicity Assessment

Location: Whittlesford, Cambridge, UK

Start Date: September 2025 | Duration: 9–12 months
Department: Development – EED & Translational Sciences

About Alchemab

Alchemab Therapeutics is a pioneering biotech company based in Cambridge, UK. We use a unique platform to identify novel drug targets and therapeutics by analysing antibody repertoires of patients who are resilient to disease. Our work spans neurodegeneration and oncology, built on a foundation of deep science, cutting-edge technology, and a passionate team committed to transforming lives.

Led by world-renowned scientist Dr. Jane Osbourn, our team is driven by four core values:

Think Patient First– Everything we do is rooted in positively impacting patients
Achieve As One – Collaboration and mutual support power our progress
Embrace Responsibility – Every team member is empowered to make a difference
Create Something Enduring – We're building solutions for today and tomorrow

The Industrial Placement Programme

We’re looking for highly motivated individuals ready to take on a meaningful challenge and join us as Industrial Placement students. Our 9–12 month placement programme offers a unique opportunity to step into the world of drug discovery and gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced biotech environment.

During your placement, you’ll work on a dedicated project with the support of a collaborative and experienced team. You’ll play a key role in contributing to our mission and vision, while being guided by experts who are passionate about mentoring and sharing knowledge.

You’ll be immersed in exciting and impactful scientific work, developing innovative solutions as part of a multidisciplinary team. Alongside your project work, you’ll receive regular coaching and support to help you achieve both your objectives and personal development goals.

This is more than just a placement—it’s a chance to build skills, grow your network, and lay the foundations for a successful future career. You’ll be surrounded by curious, passionate, and open-minded colleagues who are eager to learn, explore science, and grow together in a truly collaborative culture.

The role will be in the Drug Development Team, predominantly focused on the following project:

Industrial Placement Student – Developability and Immunotoxicity Assessment

Project Overview

Are you curious about how a research antibody becomes a safe and scalable therapeutic? This exciting placement will place you at the heart of that transformation. Working within both our EED and Translational Sciences teams, you’ll get involved in projects that help de-risk lead molecules—giving them the best chance to be manufactured efficiently and used safely in humans.

As an Industrial Placement student, you’ll gain hands-on lab experience developing cutting-edge assays, working with a wide range of technologies, and contributing to impactful scientific initiatives.

Scientific Background & Project Rationale

Before antibodies can progress into the clinic, they must be carefully assessed for risks related to manufacturing and patient safety. This project focuses on two critical areas of early-stage therapeutic development:

1. Developability Assessments
   You’ll help design and run high throughput assays that allow us to assess biophysical properties (e.g. charge, hydrophobicity, self-association) using minimal antibody material—ideal for early-stage R&D. This work complements our in silico analysis of antibody sequences and will help improve project timelines and reduce costs by identifying potential issues earlier.
2. Immunotoxicity Risk Assessment
   Currently outsourced, these assays assess how antibodies might trigger immune responses in humans. You’ll help bring these assays in-house using primary immune cells and a suite of techniques (cytokine release, Fc receptor binding, and more), enabling us to evaluate antibody safety internally and more efficiently.
3. Data Enrichment via the Datacube
   Time permitting, you’ll also support biomarker analysis by generating new data or mining publicly available data on markers like inflammatory cytokines and NfL from patient biosamples. This helps us enrich Alchemab’s Datacube—our central data repository—making it more powerful for future discovery work.

Project Goals

You’ll contribute to three key areas:

• EED Team (first 6 months):
  Produce and purify a small-scale antibody panel, assess in silico risks of each clone, and evaluate and rank them using high throughput developability assays
• Translational Team (next 6 months):
  Set up and optimise immunotoxicity assays in-house, comparing results to external CRO data using control antibodies and a known Alchemab candidate.
• Datacube Enrichment:
  Generate or source additional biomarker data (cytokines, NfL) using commercial assays or public databases, supported by our tech team.

Techniques & Technologies You’ll Use

This placement gives you exposure to a wide range of experimental approaches and tools, including:

• Antibody plasmid DNA amplification and expression in CHO cells
• Protein A purification (AKTA systems)
• High throughput assay development with automated liquid handling
• In silico antibody sequence analysis
• Primary cell work with PBMCs and T-cells
• Cytokine and biomarker measurement (ELISA, MSD, Legendplex)
• Cell-based immunoassays (ADC, ADCC)
• Biophysical analysis (BLI/SPR, Fcγ receptor binding)

What You’ll Learn

By the end of your placement, you’ll:

• Gain an understanding of biotechnology teams and company structure
• Understand the principles and practice of therapeutic antibody discovery and development
• Gain experience in both lab-based techniques and computational approaches
• Learn how to assess manufacturing and clinical risks
• Build knowledge in immunotoxicology and high-throughput screening
• Contribute to real-world biotech projects with immediate value

Why This Placement is Right for You

You’ll work on high-impact science in a supportive environment, learning what it takes to bring an idea from concept to clinic. Your project will have clear goals and deliverables, with the chance to see how your work fits into the bigger picture of drug development. Plus, you’ll be mentored by experienced scientists across two dynamic teams.

This placement also supports Alchemab’s future goals—by speeding up our internal timelines, improving decision-making, and potentially saving both time and cost on key development steps.

You’ll split your time across two departments (Expression and Early Development (EED) and Translational Sciences) and work collaboratively with members of the Tech team, giving you exposure to multiple disciplines and mentoring styles.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a BSc in a scientific field, or equivalent in any Biological or Life Science aligned course.
• At the time of application, candidates should have completed at least 1 year of their undergraduate course.
• Your university allows you to enter into an internship agreement for a period of 9–12 months
• Outstanding attention to detail
• Proven academic excellence and strong analytical skills
• Strong communication and teamworking abilities
• Ambitious and eager to contribute to world-class research initiatives
• You must have the right to work in the UK or a valid visa that allows you to undertake paid work
  

Where You’ll Be Working

You’ll be based in Whittlesford, just south of Cambridge, in a state-of-the-art biotech facility surrounded by peaceful countryside. With Whittlesford Parkway station just a short walk away, commuting is easy, with direct links to Cambridge and London.

Our location offers the best of both worlds—a cutting-edge research environment in a scenic setting, perfect for collaboration, innovation, and even a refreshing lunchtime walk! Join us and be part of something truly exciting.

Connecting, Celebrating, and Giving Back

At Alchemab, we believe that great science thrives in a strong, connected community. Our Social and Charity Committees bring people together beyond the lab, organising exciting events, activities, and fundraising initiatives that make a real difference. From social gatherings and wellness activities to charity challenges and volunteering, there's always something happening to build friendships, have fun, and give back. Our vibrant culture ensures that everyone feels part of something bigger—both inside and outside of work!

Please note:
The successful candidate will be employed by SRG and based on-site at Alchemab Therapeutics. Candidate details will only be shared with SRG at the offer stage, in line with data protection standards.

Recruitment Process:

• Deadline for submissions: 06 June 2025
• Application: Please apply via the link and provide a cover letter, explaining more about your interest in a placement at Alchemab. Please do add any details that might support your interest at pursuing this opportunity.
• Interviews: We are aiming to hold interviews w/c 16 June. This will be an initial phone screen, and we will ask you to come to the office to meet the team face to face.
• Placement start: Monday 01 September 2025