Research Fellow in Modelling-Informed Cell Line Engineering

About us

The “Next-Gen Biopharma Manufacturing 5.0” Prosperity Partnership is a 5-year collaborative programme between UCL Biochemical Engineering and AstraZeneca, jointly funded by EPSRC and AstraZeneca. It aims to transform antibody manufacturing using AI, automation, digital twins and advanced analytics to improve production of therapies for cancer, obesity and autoimmune conditions. Delivered through the UCL–AstraZeneca Centre of Excellence, the programme will appoint six postdoctoral researchers to work across UCL and AstraZeneca sites, combining computational and experimental approaches.

UCL Biochemical Engineering is a global leader in bioprocess engineering research and education, with a mission to develop innovative biomanufacturing solutions for health and a sustainable bioeconomy. The department combines world-class facilities, strong industrial links, and an interdisciplinary research culture. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company with a focus on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals.

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join this ambitious Prosperity Partnership between UCL and AstraZeneca and to work as part of a cross-disciplinary team across both sites (London and Cambridge). This role will contribute to AI-directed cell line optimisation. This role will apply engineering biology and AI approaches to significantly accelerate the optimisation of the cell line development (CLD) processes for next-gen antibodies, focusing on optimising vector design to enhance recombinant protein expression. The postholder will lead on the development of an automated, high-throughput platform to rapidly screen vector constructs, assessing how component combinations influence productivity and product quality. This will be achieved by leveraging the latest in vector design for therapeutic protein expression, analytics, automation, and AI. The workflows will be applied to specific target molecules in collaboration with Astr aZeneca to generate insights that inform strategic choices and industrial implementation.

This role is funded for 2 years in the first instance, with potential for extension.

About you

You will hold (or be near completion of) a PhD in a relevant discipline such as in biochemical/chemical engineering, biochemistry, biotechnology or a related field. You will bring expertise in molecular and synthetic biology techniques, including DNA assembly, protein expression and analysis, along with an interest and aptitude in developing data analysis skills. You will be comfortable working with automation systems for high-throughput experiments. You will have excellent communication skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively across teams and institutions. Experience in mammalian cell-line engineering, programming and data analysis would be advantageous. You will have an understanding of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, experience in interdisciplinary research and be motivated to deliver real-world impact in biopharma. A commitment to UCL’s values and to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion is essential.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, UCL also offer some great benefits. Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

Our department holds an Athena Swan Gold award.

Customer advert reference: B04-06753

Advert information