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The latest job opportunities here at UCL Biochemical Engineering
Research Fellow in Antigen Display Characterisation
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Ref Number B04-05563
Professional Expertise Research and Research Support
Department UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location London
Working Pattern Full time
Salary £43,124–£51,610
Contract Type Fixed-term
Working Type On site
Available for Secondment No
Closing Date 13-Nov-2024
About us
This position is a key part of the Vaccines Manufacturing Hub for LMICs (VaxHub Global), led by UCL Biochemical Engineering and the University of Oxford with a number of academic and industrial partners. VaxHub Global is funded with a £10M grant from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and managed by The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), as part of the UK Vaccine Network, a UK Aid programme to develop vaccines for diseases with epidemic potential in LMICs. Additional co-funding from the EPSRC is provided to leverage impact for the UK. VaxHub Global builds on the success of Vax-Hub 1, which was originally formed in 2018 with a grant from the DHSC. Most prominently, Vax-Hub 1 research underpinned the development of the ChAdOx-1 nCoV-19 vaccine, subsequently licensed to AstraZeneca, with direct benefit to over 180 countries worldwide, including the UK. The vision for VaxHub Global is to deliver flexible, easily transferable multi-product platforms and simplified engineering solutions that enable development of low cost, effective and globally deployable vaccines to LMICs.
About the role
A new Research Fellow position in antigen display characterisation is now available. The position, based in the UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering, will address the development of experimental and computational tools to better understand the formation, stability and function of covalent and non-covalent antigen display for vaccines candidates. Proof of concept studies at UCL have shown antigen display on protein nanoparticlesusing different attachment methods. Models will be developed to simulate the dynamic nature of these methods, supported by characterisation of the proportion of functional antigens presented. The PDRA will develop mass-transport simulations to capture the various stages of assembly and disassembly of dynamic vaccine nanoparticles as well as the immunoassays and analytics needed to study them. These findings will allow a deeper understanding of the workings and potential of modular vaccine candidates employing advanced display strategies towards low cost, scalable and accessible modular vaccines for global good. These tools have further application towards the development of diagnostic tools for vaccine stability testing. The postholder will be responsible for undertaking original experimental research,reporting on project progress and the preparation and submission of research papers arising from these and related studies. The postholder will be one of a team of UCL-based researchers working as part of VaxHub Global, as well as several academic and industrial collaborators, so excellent team-working and communication skills will be required. The UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering has excellent research facilities including a full-scale £25m bioprocessing pilot plant.
About you
You hold a PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g. Bio/Chemical Engineering) or a related area or in natural sciences reinforced with an emphasis on protein engineering and synthetic biology (e.g. Biotechnology, Biochemistry), and ideally possess experience in biochemical/biophysical analysis of protein assemblies, diagnostics and simulations. We want to give people opportunity for development and this role is one where we could consider a wide range of different skills and experiences . Whilst all candidates must meet the essential criteria in order to be shortlisted, we actively encourage candidates who may not meet all of the desirable criteria to apply as we consider these to be areas the successful candidate can grow within the role. For informal enquiries, please contact both, Dr Stefanie Frank at stefanie.frank @ucl.ac.uk and Michael Thomas at michael.thomas@ucl.ac.uk.
Available documents
Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.
Research Fellow in Bioprocess Sustainability Evaluation
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Ref Number B04-05593
Professional Expertise Research and Research Support
Department UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location London
Working Pattern Full time
Salary £43,124–£51,610
Contract Type Fixed-term
Working Type On site
Available for Secondment No
Closing Date 21-Nov-2024
About us
This position is a key part of the Manufacturing Research Hub for a Sustainable Future (VaxHub Sustainable), led by UCL Biochemical Engineering and the University of Oxford with a number of academic and industrial partners. VaxHub Sustainable is funded with a £12M grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), under its Manufacturing Research Hubs for a Sustainable Future initiative. The vision for VaxHub Sustainable is to deliver manufacturing innovations that enable a transformative change towards sustainable and rapidly responsive vaccine manufacture.
About the role
A new Research Fellow position in Sustainable Bioprocess Design is now available. Based in the UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering the post will quantitatively evaluate sustainability aspects of vaccine development and contribute to developing best practice for environmental footprinting of biotechnology processes. In addition, the post holder will use LCA methods to propose strategies to reduce waste and evaluate the potential for industrial ecologies. The post holder will be one of a team of UCL-based researchers working as part of VaxHub Sustainable, as well as several academic and industrial collaborators. The post holder will be based within the world-class biotechnology facilities at the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering. There will be a high degree of interaction with UCL colleagues working at other campus locations and with industrial partners so excellent team-working and communication skills will be required. The post holder will be responsible for undertaking original research, reporting on project progress and the preparation and submission of research papers arising from these and related studies.
About you
You will hold a doctorate (or equivalent) in a relevant process engineering field e.g Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline such as Biotechnology and/or ideally possess experience in one or more of the following areas: bioprocess modelling, Life Cycle Assessment and sustainability evaluation. We want to give people opportunity for development and this role is one where we could consider a wide range of different skills and experiences. Whilst all candidates must meet the essential criteria in order to be shortlisted, we actively encourage candidates who may not meet all of the desirable criteria to apply as we consider these to be areas the successful candidate can grow within the role.
Available documents
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What we offer at UCL
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:- • 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) • Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme • Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) • Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan • Immigration loan • Relocation scheme for certain posts • On-Site nursery • On-site gym • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay • Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service • Discounted medical insurance
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. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion here