Postdoctoral Training Fellow CR-UK Therapeutic Catalyst Grant (Prof T Rabbitts) (ID575)

Starting Salary: Future progression is based on annual performance review. If the candidate has not yet been awarded their PhD, the starting salary will be at £34,344 until the successful completion of their viva.

This role is eligible for ICR Sponsorship.  Support will be provided for costs associated with Visa application and health surcharge. If you are considering relocating to the UK, further information can be found here. 

Duration of Contract: Fixed Term for 18 months

Location: Sutton 

Hours per week: 35 hours per week (Full Time)

Closing Date: 16th April 2023

This role will be under the leadership of Professor Terry Rabbitts   We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated Post Doctoral Training Fellow. This project is a part of the of the CR-UK-Therapeutic Catalyst Grant to develop new drugs for T cell leukaemia and for ailments with excess angiogenesis.

The project is focussed on developing chemical compounds that were derived using an intracellular antibody that binds to the T cell acute leukaemia oncogenic transcription factor, LMO2. The first generation Antibody-derived (Abd) compounds have been identified and made into Proteolysis-targeting chimaeras (PROTAC) compounds. The work of this PDTF post will be to develop protocols for successful production of soluble, recombinant LMO2 protein to facilitate structural studies with the compounds. This will involve X-ray crystallography, NMR and other biophysical methods of studying the proteincompound complex for structure-based drug design. New generations of compounds will be synthesised by our collaborating chemistry laboratory.

Key Requirements

You should possess a PhD in structural biology and have  experience in working with recombinant proteins, in particular antibodies and transcription factors. You must also have track record with protein engineering and  as well as  in biophysical methods such as X-ray crystallography. Experience with cell-based models, such as 3-D cultures would be an advantage.

The ICR has a workforce agreement stating that Postdoctoral Training Fellows can only be employed for up  to 7 years as PDTF at the ICR, providing total postdoctoral experience (including previous employment at this level elsewhere) does not exceed 10 years.

Division Information:

Professor Terry Rabbitts’ research is focused on new strategies using intracellular antibodies and derivates for therapy aimed at hard-to-drug chromosomal translocation gene products. This includes intracellular antibodies for inhibiting transcription factors and protein-protein interactions. The approach has resulted in compounds that bind to the chromosomal translocation LMO2 transcription factor and effect T cell leukaemia cell growth. The aim is to develop these compounds into drugs for refractory T-cell acute leukaemias.

Our approach is multi-disciplinary, integrating molecular biology, cell biology, antibody design, structural biology, and chemical biology. We aim to develop these LMO2 binding compounds to pre-clinical efficacy in this next round to structure-based drug evolution. These will be the first compounds to be derived from an intracellular antibody binding site that have progressed towards phase I clinical trials. The post should lead to further work in the group to drug using intracellular antibody approach.

Why work for us?

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The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world's most influential cancer research institutes, with an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. Further information about working at the ICR can be found here.

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