Synthetic Biologist/Molecular Biologist

JR United Kingdom; Leeds; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biotechnology company in Leeds is seeking a motivated Molecular/Synthetic Biologist for a grant-funded project in Women’s Health. The role involves enzyme discovery, working in a collaborative team to develop novel therapeutic enzymes aimed at combating resistant pathogens. Candidates with an MSc/PhD in relevant fields are encouraged to apply, contributing to impactful health research in a supportive and innovative lab environment.

Benefits

Flexible working culture

Generous leave allowance

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in relevant field is required.
• Good understanding of DNA assembly methods and cloning techniques.
• Experience with molecular biological procedures including PCR and protein purification.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assays to design, produce, and purify candidate proteins.
• Lead vector selection and cloning strategies.
• Interpret results and maintain precise experimental records.

Skills

Synthetic Biology Techniques

Cloning Techniques

Molecular Biological Procedures

Education

MSc/PhD in Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or Microbiology

Tools

ÄKTA Chromatography Systems

Job description

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Synthetic Biologist/Molecular Biologist, leeds, west yorkshire

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Client:

CC Bio

Location:

leeds, west yorkshire, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Views:

3

Posted:

07.06.2025

Expiry Date:

22.07.2025

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Job Description:

Company Introduction

CC Bio is an award-winning synthetic biology company, which has been a subsidiary of a clinical stage global parent company, Precisio Biotix Inc. since 2024. We are based in state-of-the-art facilities at the Imperial Translation and Innovation Hub (iHUB), West London.

At CC Bio, we discover, engineer and develop potent and specific antimicrobial enzymes for use as next generation therapeutics. By leveraging the combined power of systems biology, synthetic biology and microbiology, we are engineering this new class of efficacious enzymes to improve patient outcomes worldwide in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. We combine sophisticated and proprietary ML-based protein discovery and engineering platforms with high throughput screening capabilities, positioning us as a world leader in enzyme design.

Description of Your Role

We are seeking a motivated molecular/synthetic biologist to join the CC Bio team in August 2025 for a 24-month prestigious grant funded project in Women’s Health. This role will be within a growing team at our London-based laboratory.

You will be an integral member of the experimental team, working closely with bioinformaticians and microbiologists to facilitate the successful outcomes of this new grant project. The grant project aims to leverage our existing enzyme discovery and engineering platform (Zeus) to develop a novel class of enzyme-based therapeutic. These enzymes are hypothesised to disrupt the growth of key obligate anaerobic pathogens.

Your time will largely be based in the wet lab, where you will conduct our previously developed assays to discover, design, produce, purify and characterise a range of candidate proteins for testing against an array of clinical vaginal pathobiont isolates.

What You’ll Do in This Role

Libraries of enzyme candidates will be identified using our proprietary candidate discovery platform, Zeus. You will be responsible for refactoring these libraries of enzyme gene sequences, designing recombinant protein production strategies and high throughput purification of our novel protein candidates in E. coli or other appropriate host systems.

You will lead the following specific project programme areas:

- You will be responsible for vector selection, primer design, and assembly strategies necessary for cloning enzyme gene sequences in 96 and 384 well formats.

- You will recombinantly produce enzyme candidate libraries in 96 well formats, refining gene expression protocols to optimise protein yield and stability.

- You will establish and conduct purification protocols for candidate libraries building upon existing company know-how. You will validate candidate purity and stability through established QC procedures.

- You will interpret the results of these tasks, particularly those surrounding candidate stability, to help the wider team to design novel derivatives of these peptides with enhanced properties.

- You will keep excellent experimental/data records to convey project results accurately and facilitate publication upon project completion.

Requirements

- You have at least an MSc degree, or preferably, a PhD degree in molecular biology, synthetic biology, biochemistry, cell biology, microbiology, or similar.

- You have a good understanding of synthetic biology techniques, with a particular focus on DNA assembly methods, primer design, and cloning techniques (Gibson, Golden Gate, In Fusion etc.).

- You have experience with molecular biological procedures including PCR, DNA extraction, plasmid preparation, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and recombinant protein purification.

- You have routinely cultured and genetically modified Escherichia coli and one other microorganism commonly used for recombinant protein expression.

- You have previously utilised ÄKTA or similar chromatography systems for protein purification.

- You can independently curate literature and design experiments in an autonomous fashion.

Additional, But Not Essential, Skills: “Nice to Haves”

- You have previously worked in a commercial biotechnology environment.

- You have experience with automation of some of the steps required for protein purification.

- You have conducted protein stability studies including thermal shift assays, and/or have experience with protein crystallography or similar structural determination techniques.

How You Enjoy Working

- You enjoy conceiving interesting ideas, discussing them, and then putting them into action yourself.

- You actively seek to collaborate to solve problems, and have no problem working with people who have different viewpoints and backgrounds.

- You don’t take constructive criticism personally and understand that in scientific research, the results of your work do not always represent your efforts.

- You like to work on meaningful projects, and more generally, be part of businesses which are focused on human health research.

- You will receive a fixed, competitive salary for the duration of the 24-month project. This is based upon annual full-time salary which will be commensurate with degree level/experience. The Imperial College London salary scale is used as a comparator by the company for salary determination.

- You will be embedded in a fully equipped laboratory at the Imperial College London Translation and Innovation Hub, within a vibrant academic community.

- You will work within an organisation with a generally flexible working culture and will receive a generous leave allowance.

Our company culture is, and will always be, inclusive: we will not discriminate based upon gender identity, race, nationality, skin colour, age, disability, relationship status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected right or status.

If this job role is a good fit for your skillset, please get in touch with [emailprotected] before June 17th, 2025 including the term “BMGF-SB” in your email subject title. Don’t be discouraged from applying if your skills do not exactly align with the requirements, but you feel that you would still succeed in the role. In your application, please include your CV alongside a cover letter which outlines why you’d like to join us.