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Senior Laboratory Research Scientist Pharmacologist

Reports to: Pharmacology Expert, PLRS, Chemical Biology STP

Both roles are full-time fixed term positions on Crick terms and conditions of employment

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

We are looking for two Senior Laboratory Research Scientists to join the Chemical Biology Science Technology Platform at the Crick. The Chemical Biology STP collaborates with researchers at the Crick to apply chemistry to explore biological questions, working at the cutting edge of biomedical science in disciplines such as cancer, infectious disease, immunology, neurology, and developmental biology.

We are seeking a creative and driven molecular pharmacologist, with expertise in a range of in vitro assay technologies and their application in early drug discovery projects. As an SLRS, you will contribute to establishing state-of-the-art screening approaches for the identification and optimisation of chemical modulators of protein targets. Furthermore, the role will require in-depth knowledge of approaches to link the mechanism of probes or drugs to the treatment of disease.

This role presents the opportunity to build on the capabilities being built in the Chemical Biology STP, in collaboration with Screening and Automated Science and Structural Biology STPs, to influence translational science at the Crick. This will be prosecuted through lab-based contributions as pharmacology/assay lead on early drug discovery teams, as well as the provision of pharmacology and drug discovery consultancy on nascent translational projects.

• Close collaboration with colleagues in aligned STPs (including SAS, Structural Biology, Proteomics, NMR) to continue to establish state-of-the-art cross-STP screening approaches for hit identification, validation and optimisation against novel targets.
• Proactive suggestions of suitable assay technologies that enable the selection of potential probes and therapeutics.
• Application of these approaches to Crick translational projects, advising on screening strategy for new targets and supporting the development of assays for compound screening.Contribution to interdisciplinary drug discovery teams as a molecular pharmacologist, taking accountability for the development of complex biological assays and the elucidation of mechanism of action.
• Scientific leadership as an assay area expert; staying abreast of the latest literature and developments in the field; and driving technology projects that optimise/modernise the current drug discovery process.

This position may be appointed at a Principal Senior Laboratory Research Scientist level, for applicants who demonstrate the skills and substantial relevant experience.

We are also recruiting for an ambitious and creative biochemical assay scientist, with drug discovery experience to join the STP. This exciting project is a collaboration focusing on the translation of cutting-edge research led by Dr. Simon Boulton and carried out in the Double Strand Break (DSB) Metabolism Laboratory. You will play an integral part of the ongoing drug discovery project to identify, characterise and optimise chemical tools for the newly identified ALT-synthetically lethal targets.

Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) is one of two mechanisms by which cancer cells solve the “End Replication Problem” and achieve immortality. ALT positive cancers respond poorly to standard chemotherapies, making them amongst the most difficult to treat. Approximately 15% of all characterised cancers are ALT positive but, to date, there has been little specific drug development. Researchers in the DSB Metabolism Laboratory have genetically identified several proteins that are synthetically lethal in cancer cells that rely on ALT for maintenance of their telomere length.

In collaboration with the ALT project team, you will contribute to the elucidation of detailed molecular mechanism of action of these new chemical tools and work with disease-area biologists to translate these findings into more biologically relevant systems. In parallel, you will work with medicinal and computational chemists to help optimise the chemical tools into candidate‑quality molecules, designing assay systems to inform on structure activity relationships and drive compound optimisation. Finally, you will work together with the biophysics and structural biology team members to gain mechanistic insights into the new ALT targets.

• Development and optimisation of biochemical assays, utilising fluorescence, luminescence or absorbance technologies for compound screening.
• Ensuring routine biochemical compound screening is carried out to a high standard.
• Timely and thorough capture of all assay data in the ALT project Dotmatics ELN.
• Design and implementation of detailed mechanistic studies to characterise inhibitor mode of action.
• Contribute to establishment of MS‑based reactive fragment and NMR fragment screening pipelines at the Crick.

In your application, please state which role out of the two you are interested in applying for.

You will have:

• PhD (or equivalent experience level) in a relevant discipline such as biochemistry, pharmacology or chemical biology. *
• Experience of working in a drug discovery environment (in either academia or industry) for at least two years. *
• A strong track record of developing and carrying out innovative assay solutions to address chemical biology or medicinal chemistry questions.
• Understanding of theoretical and practical enzymology and/or molecular pharmacology for the characterisation of recombinant targets, combined with a track record of high laboratory productivity. *
• Experience and knowledge of in vitro biochemical assay technologies such as time resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer and fluorescence polarisation. *
• Proficiency with a range of data analysis and visualisation tools, such as Graphpad Prism (or Origin, SigmaPlot, Grafit), Dotmatics, Spotfire, Dotmatics Vortex, or equivalent software.

*Minimum requirement

• We arebold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently.
• We areopen. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.
• We arecollegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences.

We are aDisability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and we’ll make reasonable adjustments if you need them – just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: weronika.kucala@crick.ac.uk

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well‑being and development:

• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.

• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.

• Health & Well‑being:
• 24/7 GP consultation services.
• Occupational health services and mental health support programs.
• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.

• Work‑Life Balance:
• Back‑up care for dependents.
• Childcare support allowance.
• Annual leave purchase options.
• Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.

• Perks:
• Discounted gym memberships, bike‑to‑work scheme, and shopping discounts.
• Subsidised on‑site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile to have your application reviewed.

We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.