Scientist (High Throughput Screening, Antibody Discovery)

CANCER RESEARCH UK; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading medical research charity is seeking a Scientist for High Throughput Screening in Antibody Discovery. This role involves developing and executing assays to identify therapeutic antibodies, contributing to innovative drug discovery efforts. The ideal candidate will have a PhD or equivalent experience, strong knowledge of high throughput screening technologies, and a collaborative approach to scientific innovation. This position offers a competitive salary, benefits, and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Up to 12% pension contribution

Income protection

Flexible working requests considered

Qualifications

• Experience developing high throughput assays for drug discovery.
• Strong knowledge of HTS technologies in antibody discovery.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute high throughput screening assays.
• Contribute to project progression in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Utilize biochemical and cell-based assays for therapeutic antibodies.

Skills

Biochemical Screening

Cell-based Assays

Collaboration

Scientific Innovation

Education

PhD in relevant field

Degree with equivalent drug discovery experience

Tools

Flow Cytometry

High Content Imaging

ELISA

MSD

HTRF Assays

Laboratory Automation

Job description

200 staff. Limitless Potential. One team - Cancer Research Horizons.

Scientist - High Throughput Screening (Antibody Discovery)- Under the leadership of Nick Tribble

Salary: £33,000 - £38,150 per annum depending on experience(dependent on experience) plus benefits (includes up to 12% pension contribution and income protection)

Reports to: Principal Scientist, Antibody Discovery

Department: Research and Innovation

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (flexible working requests considered)

Location: Cori Building, Granta Park, Cambridge

Closing date: 26th May 2025 23:55. This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, therefore we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. If you require more time to apply as part of a reasonable adjustment, please contact as soon as possible.

Visa Sponsorship: Cancer Research UK is able to consider visa sponsorship for this vacancy (conditions apply at this level). If this applies to you, please ensure that this is clearly marked on your application.

Interview schedule: Initial screening interviews may be conducted via MS Teams, week commencing 2nd June 2025 and in person interviews to be held at Granta Park, 11th-12th June 2025.

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

We currently have an exciting opportunity within our Drug Discovery team for an experienced Scientist to expand and enhance our capabilities in therapeutic antibody discovery.

About CRUK Drug Discovery

As the world's biggest medical research charity, we've helped bring eleven new cancer drugs to market. However, there is still an urgent need to bring more effective treatments to patients faster.

We have recently developed a new approach to driving therapeutic innovation through the creation of Cancer Research Horizons (CRH). We have brought together Cancer Research UK's established drug discovery teams under one organisation and leadership team, combining our unique pipeline of cancer biology expertise and access to CRUK's world-class academic network, cutting edge technology platforms and clinical expertise to 1) bring new treatments to patients faster and 2) tackle the biggest challenges in discovering cancer drugs by seeking out more radical ideas and embracing risk in our bid to achieve success.

Based at sites in Cambridge, the CRUK Scotland Institute in Glasgow, the Francis Crick Institute in London, and Newcastle University, Cancer Research Horizons employs ~200 staff from both industrial and academic backgrounds

In this lab-based role you will use your knowledge and experience with biochemical and cell based high throughput screening technology to develop and execute high throughput screening assays, and associated drug discovery activities within the Antibody Discovery team (c11 people) of Cancer Research Horizons. You'll bring with you experience of developing and running cell-based assays to identify early-stage drug candidates - ideally antibodies, but experience of small molecules will be considered.

In return you will have the opportunity to work in an inclusive environment where we welcome creative thinking and new ideas, we would welcome your input on implementation of new technologies and improvements to existing processes and infrastructure. Furthermore, we actively encourage our colleagues to celebrate our science, by attending conferences, presenting posters, giving talks at events and publishing papers.

What will I be doing?

• Working on the development and execution of high throughput screening assays to enable the identification and characterisation of therapeutic antibodies.
• Contributing to project progression as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Utilising biochemical and cell-based assays to characterise functional properties of therapeutic antibodies (e.g. IC50 or EC50 determination).
• Working with a variety of assay formats, detection technologies and laboratory automation to maximise efficiency.
• Maintaining relevant technical and intellectual expertise relevant to the field (e.g. assays development and antibody discovery).
• Recording, tracking and presenting data for project team meetings.

What skills will I need?

• PhD in relevant field or Degree with equivalent drug discovery experience.
• Strong knowledge of biochemical and cell-based high throughput screening (HTS) technologies utilized in pre-clinical antibody drug discovery.
• Experience of developing and running high throughput cell-based assays to identify early-stage drug candidates - ideally antibodies, but experience of small molecules will be considered.
• Extensive experience of working with a variety of assay formats and detection technologies such as flow cytometry, high content imaging, ELISA, MSD and HTRF assays.
• Experience of applying a range of laboratory automation solutions (e.g. Viaflo, Hamilton, HighRes) to support drug discovery cascades is highly desirable.
• Proactive, with a 'can do' attitude; with a demonstrated ability to prioritise own work effectively, multi-task and adapt flexibly to changing priorities.
• Strength in collaborative working and proven ability to interact and effectively communicate scientific objectives and project results with colleagues.
• Demonstrated interest in scientific innovation and driving new capability development to support antibody discovery

What will I Gain

Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do.

Bold: Act with ambition, courage and determination

Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism

Human: Act to have a positive impact on people

Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively

We're looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisation values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer.

If you're interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience we'd still love to hear from you.

What will I gain?

We create a working environment that supports your wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Our policies and processes enable you to improve your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career and achieve your personal wellbeing goals.

You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page.

How do I apply?

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively.

For more information on this career opportunity please visit our website or contact us.

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