- Job Title: Scientist – Viral Vector
- Salary: Up to £40,000 D.o.E. plus excellent benefits
- Location: Oxford
- An Opportunity with Great Potential because the Company are Expanding Internationally based on the Success of their Platform Technology and the Impact on the Biologics, Cell & Gene Therapy Sector.
- A Leader in the Synthetic Biology Sector, they are a Specialized CRO who Offer Services for the Discovery, Development, and Production of Biologics and Viral Vectors for Gene Therapies.
- Role Purpose: To Establish Novel Vectors, Stable Packaging Lines and Associated Processes.
Job Summary:
This is a unique opportunity offering initial and longer-term career development working on exciting cutting edge technologies. To join an ambitious company who are pioneers in the use of synthetic biology and its application to transform the discovery, development and manufacture of biologics, cell & gene therapies. Based in state-of-the-art laboratories near Oxford they are at the cutting edge of research in this field, which has huge potential to deliver solutions for the production of complex, high value products. They need to recruit a Scientist who can focus on their novel Viral Vector, in particular AAV, services setting out their engineering, production and characterisation.
The Company
The company are at the cutting edge of the exciting field of synthetic biology after developing their unique platform which enables them to offer solutions to the discovery, development and manufacture of biologics, cell & gene therapies. They currently offer a range of custom and platform services, specialising in DNA design, optimisation of protein and viral expression systems, and cell line development technologies. They are going through a significant period of expansion based on the success of their services and technology, not just in the UK but also in the US where they have recently opened a new office.
A strong focus is placed on R&D activities and further developing platform technologies, as supported by the recent receipt of multiple grants awards from Innovate UK.
The Opportunity:
This is an exciting and diverse opportunity where as an Viral Vector Scientist you will be working to develop their existing platform technology further as well as on external commercial projects. The purpose of this role is to be focused on the engineering, production, and characterisation of novel viral vectors especially AAV.
Working from the bench on assigned projects you will be using your science and creative thinking to drive these forward so that results are delivered on time. You will be involved in projects from the set-up phase till close out, leading these internally by working with colleagues, from senior to junior, in the laboratory to develop the science needed to create the cell lines and expression systems.
This is a senior role in the department meaning you will be in contact with clients on a regular basis as a technical expert, providing project updates and presentations when required. Additionally, you will provide training to more junior staff to help with their development as well as technical issues they face. This is an excellent role where your innovative approach as a scientist will be an asset and give you the chance to gain valuable skills to progress your career with them.
Desired Skills and Experience:
They are looking for a creative thinking scientist who has a PhD in a relevant field or an MSc with several years of commercial experience to complement this. You will need to have experience of using engineering, developing, production and characterization of Viral Vectors. Experience of AAV vectors is an advantage as this is an area where they are focusing. You will need experience of analytical techniques such as qPCR and Flow Cytometry as well. If you have experience of cell sorting, use of gene editing tools and use of robotic liquid handling tools, automated systems then these are advantageous to your application.