Research Technician

University of Southampton; Eastleigh; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading educational institution is seeking a part-time Research Technician to support laboratory research on HIV-1 glycobiology. The role involves mammalian cell culture, glycoprotein production, and collaboration with researchers. A degree in a relevant field and experience with cell culture techniques are essential. The organization offers excellent benefits, including pension schemes and support for flexible working.

Benefits

Pension schemes

Generous annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience with mammalian cell culture techniques is essential.
• Familiarity with protein expression and purification methods is desirable.
• Experience in pseudovirus production and purification is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Maintain mammalian cell lines for glycoprotein and pseudovirus production.
• Express HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins in mammalian cells.
• Generate HIV-1 pseudoviruses and conduct quality checks.
• Prepare buffers, reagents, and maintain laboratory equipment.
• Document procedures and keep accurate logs.
• Collaborate with postdoctoral researchers and PhD students.

Skills

Mammalian cell culture

Teamwork and Communication

Planning and Organisation

Problem Solving

Education

Degree in biochemistry, molecular biology, virology, or related field

Tools

GNL affinity purification

Job description

Overview

The Glycoprotein Therapeutics Laboratory, led by Professor Max Crispin, focuses on developing antiviral vaccines and antibody-based therapies against cancer. A key area of interest is HIV vaccine design, particularly understanding how glycans influence viral protein structure and function, and how they can be manipulated for therapeutic applications.

Role

We are seeking a part-time Research Technician to support laboratory research on HIV-1 glycobiology. The role includes mammalian cell culture, glycoprotein and pseudovirus production, protein purification, and sample preparation for mass spectrometry. The postholder will ensure smooth day-to-day running of experiments, accurate data recording, and high-quality outputs, while contributing to lab maintenance and collaborative projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Mammalian Cell Culture: Maintain mammalian cell lines used for glycoprotein and pseudovirus production. Perform transfections and monitor cell growth to ensure optimal conditions.
• Glycoprotein Production: Express HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins in mammalian cells. Purify proteins using nickel affinity and size-exclusion chromatography. Prepare samples for mass spectrometry analysis.
• Pseudovirus Production: Assist in the generation of HIV-1 pseudoviruses. Conduct quality checks to ensure reproducibility and consistency across batches.
• Laboratory Support: Prepare buffers, reagents, and culture media as needed. Maintain laboratory equipment and ensure compliance with safety standards. Support adherence to protocols and maintain accurate records.
• Data Management: Document procedures, sample inventories, and experimental results. Keep detailed logs for pseudovirus and glycoprotein samples.
• Collaboration: Work closely with postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and technical staff. Provide technical support across HIV-1 glycobiology projects.

Qualifications

• A degree in biochemistry, molecular biology, virology, or a related field—or equivalent experience.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture techniques is essential.
• Familiarity with protein expression and purification methods (e.g., GNL affinity) and experience in pseudovirus production and purification are highly desirable.

Skills and Attributes

• Teamwork and Communication: You work effectively in a collaborative team environment and communicate clearly regarding progress and priorities. Maintaining accurate written and verbal records is essential.
• Planning, Organisation and Resource Management: You organise lab tasks efficiently and contribute to stock management. You seek input from colleagues to refine experimental designs and improve workflows.
• Problem Solving and Initiative: You troubleshoot technical issues using established practices and resolve routine problems such as contamination or poor yields. You contribute to improving lab practices within protocols and demonstrate flexibility when learning new methods.

What We Offer

Working at the University of Southampton provides access to excellent benefits including pension schemes, generous annual leave with university closure days, and family leave arrangements. We support flexible working and welcome applications from those returning from a career break.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applicants who support our mission of inclusivity.

The University is a signatory of the Technician Commitment and a partner affiliate of the National Technician Development Centre (NTDC). We are committed to supporting our technical staff and offer a wide range of opportunities including networking, mentoring, training, professional registration and career development. We really value all our technical staff and recognise the broad range of skills they have in support of education, research and enterprise activities. By joining you will be part of a bigger technical community, offering support and guidance.

Apply by 11.59 pm GMT on the closing date. For assistance contact Recruitment on [phone] or [e-mail] quoting the job number.