Senior Laboratory Research Scientist (SLRS)

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. 

To learn more about the Crick, click here.

About the role

This exciting research project is a cross-Francis Crick Institute collaboration focussing on the translation of cutting-edge research led by Dr. Simon Boulton and carried out in the Double Strand Break (DSB) Metabolism Laboratory. Researchers in the DSB Metabolism Laboratory have identified several cellular processes that contribute to the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism of telomere maintenance present in a sub set cancers (ALT positive cancers). This collaboration aims to translate the new ALT biology insights from the DSB Metabolism Laboratory into therapies to treat ALT positive cancers.   This position will give scientists the opportunity to gain experience of drug discovery interfaced with cutting-edge disease biology, with guidance from experienced pharmaceutical research experts and world leaders in the field of DNA Damage Repair.  

What you will be doing

We are looking for an ambitious and creative cell biologist, ideally with telomere biology experience, to join the ALT programme team at the Francis Crick Institute.

Your key responsibilities will include:

•  Validation of ALT targets validation and characterisation of the underlying mechanisms of action, including potential resistance mechanisms. 
• Development, optimisation and routine use of cellular mechanistic assays utilising ALT markers such as TIFs, APBs, C-circles, ssTELOC/G and ALT-DNA synthesis to elucidate target engagement.
• Establishing new capability and technology development to enable novel insights into the ALT targets.
• Screening of novel chemical modulators of ALT and characterisation of the mechanisms of action. 
• Routine and thorough capture of all assay data in an ELN

See the full job description.

About you  

You will bring

• PhD (or equivalent experience level) in a relevant discipline such as cell and/or molecular biology.
• A strong track record of target validation and mechanistic analysis using innovative cellular assays in academic or industrial research, ideally supported by publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Practical experience of mammalian cell culture techniques for the development of cellular assays, ideally with an understanding of genome/telomere maintenance processes.

About Working at the Crick

Our values  

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. 
• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. 
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community. 

At the Crick, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. If you need assistance with your application, please contact weronika.kucala@crick.ac.uk

To read more about our EDI approach, click here.  

What will you receive?  

We value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development. You can find out more about what we offer here.

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