Research Associate (18 Month Fixed Term)

Role Reference: RA2101

THE COMPANY

Isogenica Ltd. is a leader in the use of synthetic biology and in vitro display for the discovery and optimisation of novel single domain biotherapeutics.

Isogenica develops VHH: these are antibody fragments which can be linked together to produce bi- or multi- specific biotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and other serious diseases. In addition to conventional phage display we use CIS Display, a technology we invented, to select antibody fragments from vast libraries against a variety of clinically relevant targets. Isogenica has established partnerships with numerous biotech and biopharma companies from around the world, resulting in the development of several clinical candidates. We also have our own internal drug discovery and development pipeline.

We are now seeking a Research Associate to join our dynamic, enthusiastic team of scientists to help drive the progress of Isogenica as a drug discovery company at the cutting edge of science.

THE ROLE

You can expect a broad and stimulating role, getting hands-on experience supporting internal and partnered discovery campaigns.

You will carry out selections and screening campaigns on Isogenica’s antibody fragment libraries to generate novel biotherapeutics to treat serious diseases.

You will be a highly motivated team player who will carry out a variety of drug discovery techniques including, in vitro display selections, binding studies, protein production and characterisation, DNA manipulation and mammalian cell culture.

You will deliver high quality data, including written and verbal reports for colleagues and partners.

WHO YOU ARE

You are seeking a career in antibody drug discovery. As a Research Associate in Isogenica the ability to work both individually and collaboratively is essential. Your analytical skills will enable you to understand complex data and resolve problems. Your creativity and enthusiasm for learning and development will be encouraged to help us deliver exceptional outputs to our partners as well as advances in our own technologies and processes.

Ideally, you will have a BSc in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology or related field with experience in protein biochemistry. Experience of high-throughput screening and automation is advantageous. PhD graduates will be considered over-qualified for this role.

REQUIREMENTS

• Experience of characterising protein-protein interactions e.g. ELISA, HTRF, AlphaScreen, SPR etc.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret complex data and identify issues where necessary
• Motivated self-starter who can work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrable planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise, execute and communicate outputs from research campaigns in a concise manner.

DESIREABLE

Experience of some of the following is desirable:

• Display selection strategies.
• Working in the field of drug discovery in an industrial setting.
• Recombinant E. coli expression systems, protein purification and characterisation.
• Mammalian cell culture
• Automated laboratory systems
• Working to SOPs

Your responsibilities will include:

• Perform target antigen quality control.
• Run selection campaigns against validated protein targets using established protocols.
• Clone candidates into protein expression cassettes for small scale production, purification and further characterisation.
• Characterize selected candidates via SEC, Tm, ELISA and cellular assays.
• Support technology development efforts within Isogenica.
• Report in internal meetings and externally to collaborators.
• Accurately recording and sharing experimental procedures and data.
• Comply with health and safety policies including conducting risk assessments and COSHH forms applicable to your work.