Research Technician

About us

The mission of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health is to improve the health and well-being of children, and the adults they will become, through world-class research, education and public engagement. The UCL GOS ICH, together with its clinical partner Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, forms the largest concentration of children’s health research outside North America. GOS ICH’s activities include active engagement with children and families, to ensure that our work is relevant and appropriate to their needs. GOS ICH generates the funding for our research by setting out our proposals in high quality applications to public, charitable and industrial funding bodies and disseminates the results of our research by publication in the medical and scientific literature, to clinicians, policy makers and the wider public. The Institute offers world-class education and training across a wide range of teaching and life learning programmes which address the needs of students and professional groups who are interested in and undertaking work relevant to child health.

About the role

There are several inherited metabolic disorders that affect the lysine catabolic pathway e.g. the vitamin B6-responsive epilepsy disorder ALDH7A1-deficiency. These disorders result in an accumulation of metabolites which are thought to be toxic to the body and in the case of ALDH7A1-deficiency result in neurodevelopmental delay. Dietary interventions aimed at reducing the amount of lysine and therefore the levels of these neurotoxic metabolites in patients with these metabolic disorders have been trialled however there has been limited efficacy. The successful applicant will work on a wet lab-based study evaluating the effect of RNA therapies for treatment of these disorders. The salary offered in this role is £34,605 - £38,966 per annum and it is funded for 18 months in the first instance.

About you

You are a graduate with a BSc in a Biological Science or similar and have a working knowledge of Biochemistry. You must have experience of working in a scientific laboratory and be proficient in basic biochemistry and molecular biology laboratory techniques including working with DNA and RNA. Ideally you will also have some experience of animal husbandry. You will work as part of a team on this research study and will be involved in evaluating the efficacy of various RNA therapies at reducing the levels of the neurotoxic metabolites that occur in the lysine catabolic disorders in various model systems. You will be required to secure an animal Licence from the Home Office, if not already held. In addition to conducting the research, you will be involved in reporting the progress of the research to the funders of this grant on a monthly basis as well as communicating the results in scientific presentations.

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