Research Associate - Cell Engineering

Research Associate - Cell Engineering

We are looking for a Research Associate to join the fast-growing team within our Cell Engineering unit at our site in Edinburgh! This position is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis.

Resolution Therapeutics (RTx) is a biotechnology company developing macrophage cell therapies to treat inflammatory organ disease. The company's technology platform is based on over a decade's work by Prof. Stuart Forbes and Prof. John Campbell, and provides RTx with a leading position in macrophage biology and regenerative medicine.
In 2020, following a productive collaboration between Edinburgh's Centre for Regenerative Medicine, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, and Syncona, Resolution Therapeutics was launched with a £26.6m series A financing.
Today, RTx is a multidisciplinary team of experienced scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs based in Edinburgh and London, working at the forefront of cell therapy and liver disease, supported by Syncona, Europe's leading life science investor.

In this role, you will carry out scientific discovery work relating to primary macrophages for therapeutic use in liver cirrhosis.

Key responsibilities:

• Identifying new candidates to produce clinically effective macrophages and improve transfection processes.
• Generating genetically modified macrophages through monocyte isolation, macrophage differentiation and macrophage transfection
• Maintaining excellent record keeping of all research activities, including up-to-date lab books, writing standard operating procedures, and cataloguing biological specimens and reagents
• Interfacing with the In vivo pharmacology, Macrophage Biology, and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell units to refine enhanced macrophage candidates, and with the Process Development team to refine standard operating procedures and assist with implementation of GMP manufacturing process at scale
• Writing patents, publications and summarising data for progress reports and presentations; delivering presentations

Please note that this list is not exhaustive

You will be expected to work as part of a team with Research Scientists and Associates, reporting directly to the Director of Cell Engineering

The successful candidate must have the following qualifications, skills, and experience:

• A bachelor's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, or a related discipline
• Proven track record with at least 3 years' experience working in an academic or industrial setting
• Experience with primary human immune cell culture, preferably monocytes/ macrophages
• Experience introducing genetic material into cells, using electroporation or multiple transfection methods, especially with difficult to transfect or primary cells.
• Experience with cell-based assays using flow cytometry and magnetic bead separation (MACS or similar)
• Experience in ELISA, PCR and qPCR
• Proven ability to work productively within a team
• Proven track record of independent manuscript publication and/or patent submission as a first author
• Ability to maintain accurate and up to date records

Preferable skills / experience include:

• A working knowledge of chronic inflammatory diseases, preferably chronic liver disease
• Experience with gene expression assays and copy number analysis.
• Experience with high content imaging and analysis
• Experience working with rodent models of liver disease
• Knowledge of process development and analytics
• Genomic and transcriptomic analysis
• Experience with viral vectors; lentivirus or AAV
• Experience in a commercial laboratory environment
• Familiarity with the principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)

Benefits:
Our competitive package includes income protection, pension, private health insurance, and life assurance, as well as an opportunity to participate in the Company's incentive shares scheme.

Selection process:
Following your application, an initial call will be scheduled by the Recruitment Partner before being shortlisted. If successful, you will be invited to start the interview process which consists of 3 stages:

1. Initial meeting with the Hiring Manager and another member of the RTx team
2. Presentation & panel interview
3. Conversation with the CEO

Please be aware that due to the volume of applications, feedback will not be provided at the application stage.

Please direct any questions and CVs in the first instance to our Recruitment Partner at Life Science People, Poppy Boronat