Technician

University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution in the UK seeks a highly motivated Technician for its Viral Immunotherapy for Bone Efficacy lab. This role involves conducting laboratory research, evaluating nanoparticles for targeted virotherapy in cancer treatment, and contributing to scientific publications. Applicants should have a relevant degree, strong communication skills, and experience in cell culture and oncolytic virus amplification. The position offers a collaborative research environment and a range of employee benefits.

Benefits

Competitive annual leave

Generous pension scheme

Flexible working opportunities

Wide range of retail discounts

Qualifications

• Experience in human cell culture growth and manipulation.
• Familiar with immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence.
• Expertise in molecular biology and immunology preferable.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute and evaluate experiments.
• Prepare regular reports and feedback.
• Supervise undergraduate and advise post-graduate students.

Skills

Strongly motivated

Excellent communication

Team player

Education

Degree relevant to drug delivery or bioengineering

Tools

Human cell culture

Oncolytic virus amplification

Immunohistochemistry

Cell survival assays

Murine cancer models

Job description

University of Sheffield

Job Overview

Applications are invited for the post of Technician to join Sheffield’s Viral Immunotherapy for Bone Efficacy (VIBE) lab led by Dr Faith Howard based within School of Medicine and Population Health at the University of Sheffield’s Medical School. The overarching research goal of the VIBE team is to leverage drug delivery systems for the development of new bone targeted virotherapies.

More information on the Howard laboratories can be found here: https://sheffield.ac.uk/smph/people/academic/clinical-medicine/faith-howard

Project Details

We are seeking a highly motivated, practically skilled, well organised and semi-independent individual to work on a 1-year PCR/BCN-funded project. We aim to synthesise nanoparticles to carry viral payloads to metastatic tumours using bone-tropic guidance strategies. We will evaluate nanoparticle properties, toxicity and efficacy in in vitro and in vivo models of prostate cancer metastasis to bone. By doing so, we will pave the way for targeted virotherapy delivery against currently incurable cancers.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute and evaluate experiments; keep excellent experimental records; prepare reports regularly and feed back to other members of the research group.
• Contribute to the preparation of scientific manuscripts, attend and deliver seminars/lab meetings, help supervise undergraduate students and advise post-graduate research students as necessary as part of a collaborative research team.
• Act as a practically skilled, well organised, flexible and committed Technician who will join an emerging laboratory team to conduct laboratory research on a semi-independent basis under the direction of Dr. Howard and project collaborators.

Qualifications

• Strongly motivated, self-driven, able to accept direction and be an excellent team player.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Degree relevant to the fields of drug delivery or bioengineering or appropriate equivalent experience.
• Experience in human cell culture growth and manipulation, oncolytic virus amplification, immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence, cell survival assays and murine cancer models.
• Expertise in molecular biology and immunology would be advantageous, but not necessary.

School of Medicine and Population Health

The School of Medicine and Population Health brings together researchers to translate scientific discoveries into clinically meaningful advances. More information about the School can be found here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/smph.

Benefits

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world‑class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Find out more at www.sheffield.ac.uk/benefits and join us to become part of something special.

Flexible Working

We are committed to exploring flexible working opportunities which benefit the individual and University.

Diversity and Inclusion

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.