Senior Laboratory Research Scientist (SLRS) – Crystallography/Drug Discovery

Senior Laboratory Research Scientist (SLRS) – Crystallography/Drug Discovery

About us
The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the role
This exciting research project is a cross-Francis Crick Institute collaboration focusing on the translation of cutting-edge research led by Dr. Simon Boulton in the Double Strand Break (DSB) Metabolism Laboratory. Researchers in this lab have identified cellular processes contributing to the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism in certain cancers. This collaboration aims to translate these insights into therapies for ALT-positive cancers. The position offers experience in drug discovery interfaced with disease biology, guided by experts in pharmaceutical research and DNA Damage Repair.

This work is funded through a 3-year £3M programme supported by the philanthropic Chris Banton fund and LifeArc. The project involves a team of scientists across several laboratories and technology platforms at the Crick.

What you will be doing
We seek a creative, motivated structural biologist with a strong background in crystallography and drug discovery to support early-stage drug probe development on the ALT project.

You will work within the Structural Biology Science Technology Platform (SB STP), which covers protein expression, purification, biophysics, X-ray crystallography, and cryo-EM. You will be responsible for all aspects of protein structure determination, including sample prep, data collection, processing, structure determination, and data presentation. You are expected to contribute to ongoing projects and process improvements.

As a Senior Laboratory Research Scientist at the Crick, you will:

• Develop robust purification protocols for high-quality recombinant proteins for structural studies.
• Determine crystal structures of target proteins with bound fragments/compounds.
• Train and supervise junior team members or students.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant literature, communicate key developments, and implement new techniques.

About you
You will bring:

• PhD in structural biology with postdoctoral or equivalent experience.
• Extensive experience in molecular cloning, recombinant protein expression, and purification using ÄKTA systems and chromatographic techniques.
• Expertise in biophysical quality control methods for crystallography-grade proteins.
• Experience in X-ray crystallography, including crystallization, data collection, structure determination, and refinement, using robots like Mosquito and NT8.
• Proficiency with crystallographic software such as CCP4, CCP4cloud, Phenix, and Coot.
• Deep knowledge of high-throughput crystallography techniques.

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