Research Assistant (Protein Biochemistry)

We are growing our scientific team at ExpressionEdits, and now offering an opportunity to join us in a full-time role based at our laboratories at the Babraham Research Campus near Cambridge.

Introducing us at ExpressionEdits:

At ExpressionEdits, we are changing how biotechnology is done in order to make therapeutics that nobody else can. We have gone back to the basic building block of the field, the transgene, which has remained essentially stagnant since the 1970s, and re-invented its design based on our proprietary method of intronization.
With this technology, we can turn the artificial transgenes of the past into sequences that incorporate both coding and non-coding DNA to express more effectively, while also looking more like a cell’s natural genes. We believe this approach, guided by an artificial intelligence “Engine” for genetic design, will allow us to bring forth the full potential of genetic production.

We are a growing startup company within Cambridge’s synthetic biology community which you can join as an early member of our diverse team that spans biology, engineering, data science, and medicine. With your help, we can bring our vision of ‘building biology like nature’ to life.

Who we are looking for:

We are seeking a motivated Research Assistant to join our team that produces and characterizes recombinant proteins. You will work closely with our scientists to express a variety of proteins in our mammalian cell expression system, then run standardized measurement assays that will inform both our technology-development work and our therapeutic-discovery work. Your skills will be integral to our research identifying and overcoming ‘difficult-to-express’ therapeutics.

Your responsibilities:

• Transfecting and monitoring mammalian cell lines
• Purifying recombinant proteins across a diverse range of protein targets
• Characterizing your protein products with in vitro assays (e.g. ELISA, SDS-PAGE)
• Running miniaturized and high-throughput protocols in microwell plates
• Working with others to structure experiments and the data you collect
• Conducting your experiments with careful attention to detail and record-keeping
• Adhere to company policies and responsible health & safety practices

Your qualifications:

Essential

• Undergraduate degree (plus experience) or Masters degree in a relevant scientific or engineering field
• Previous experience working in a biological research laboratory, beyond university practical demonstrations
• Strong biochemical understanding of how common techniques like affinity chromatography or ELISA work
• Demonstrated ability to interpret data and troubleshoot or improve protocols
• Developed ‘soft skills’ such as proficient organization, thorough documentation, and good interpersonal communication
• Flexibility to support your colleagues during any shifts in focus that may occur as a member of a growing biotech company
• UK based role so successful applicant must have an existing right to work in the UK

Desirable

• Experience with suspension CHO and HEK293 mammalian cell lines
• Exposure to high-throughput protocols on 96-well or 384-well plates
• General molecular biology skills such as PCR and cloning DNA constructs
• Fondness for understanding the underlying mechanisms behind how proteins function and the technologies used to study them
• Familiarity with working environments in the biotech industry
• Past use of LIMS or other systems for recording experimental results to high standards of detail
• Demonstrated interest in the clinical uses of recombinant protein biologics or gene therapies, and the quality metrics that must be considered for these applications