research assistant Harwell, South East England, England
Job description
Research Assistant – Biology NATA
MRC Band 5 £25,798 - £27,501 per annum
Full-time, Permanent
Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire
The closing date for applications is 30 Jul 2023
About us
The Medical Research Council (MRC), as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has invested £30m over 4 years through the Strategic Priorities Fund to establish a Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA) that will support state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research to solve critical issues in nucleic acid drug development, through focused NATA research challenges and a NATA infrastructure hub.
NATA (https://www.natahub.org/) focuses on building internal chemistry, biology and operational capabilities while catalysing collaborative R&D activity to tackle significant barriers facing oligonucleotide therapy manufacturing and delivery. This investment will support capacity building in terms of equipment, upskilling and domain expertise that will be essential in developing critical mass to catalyse and de-risk the development of next-generation nucleic acid therapeutics.
About the Role
We are looking for a Research Assistant who is highly motivated and accomplished to join our team and contribute to the progress of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics (NATA). The successful candidate will perform hit validation, toxicology assessment, target validation, and contribute to the preparation of RNA libraries and the running of the RNA sequencing facility. Additionally, you will be responsible for maintaining and culturing the NATA cell line library and managing instruments, reagents, and biological resources efficiently.
Key Responsibilities include:
· Perform the screening, hit validation and toxicology assessment of several classes of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics in an industrial and standardized way
· Take a proactive approach to learning and implementing new techniques and approaches
· Maintain, implement and culture the NATA cell line library (immortalized and primary) and generate stable cell lines as necessary
· Assist on in vivo based studies including cell sorting, microscopy/image analysis and tissue histopathology
· Assist in the preparation of RNA libraries and in the running of the RNA sequencing facility
· Manage instruments, reagents and biological resources efficiently.
About You
You will have:
· A relevant degree in Biology or related field
· Experience of working in a laboratory, preferably translational and related to Nucleic Acid Therapeutics
· Expertise in tissue culture including culture of cells with different characteristics, primary cells, cell lines and genetically engineered cell lines
· Experience in cell-based screening assays such as ELISA, luciferase, fluorescence and Western blotting
· Fundamental knowledge in gene transcription, protein translation, RNA splicing and the regulation of gene expression
For the full job description, please visit our site at the link below.
Benefits:
Choosing to come to work at the MRC (part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)) means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits, from a defined-benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement, to access to employee shopping/travel discounts and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. In addition, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the work of a world-class medical research organisation.
How to Apply:
For full details and to apply, please click apply to submit an application. Your cover letter should clearly outline how you fulfil the criteria listed in the personal specification and your motivation for applying for this role.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £25,798.00-£27,501.00 per year
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person
Reference ID: NATA 2189
