Senior Laboratory Research Scientist - Structural Biochemist

Job Title: Senior Laboratory Research Scientist - Structural Biochemist

Salary: From £39,950 per annum with benefits (subject to skills and experience)

Reports to: Radoslav Enchev

Closing Date: 20/Jun/2024 23.59 GMT

Job Description

Contract Term: Full-time, fixed term (3 years) on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Location: Visual Biochemistry lab, AZ-Crick-Alliance

About the AZ-Crick Alliance

The AZ-Crick Alliance between AstraZeneca and the Francis Crick Institute has fostered a productive research environment since December 2016, enabling collaboration on discovery biology research and early translational projects. This synergistic alliance leverages the expertise of scientists from both Crick and AZ to drive innovations in technology development, mechanistic understanding, and novel target validation.

The Team

The Cryo-EM team within AstraZeneca’s Discovery Sciences division excels in utilizing cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) for designing novel therapeutics across various modalities and therapeutic areas. The Enchev lab at the Crick complements these efforts by developing and applying cutting-edge methods to observe biochemical processes at atomic resolutions and millisecond time-scales, incorporating microfluidics, cryo-EM, and machine learning.

The Project

Our project focuses on DNA helicases, essential enzymes in key cellular processes such as DNA replication, repair, and transcription. Helicases like POLQ are prime drug targets within the realm of cancer therapies, yet many fundamental aspects of their functionality, especially their dynamic mechanisms, remain unclear. Our aim is to employ time-resolved cryo-EM (trEM) to capture intermediate states of the POLQ helicase domain and elucidate these mechanisms, ultimately advancing bioassays and drug discovery.

The Role

As a Senior Laboratory Research Scientist, you will perform biochemical reconstitutions and structural studies. Key responsibilities include:

• In vitro biochemical reconstitution of relevant POLQ constructs and substrates
• Structural studies of POLQ complexes by conventional cryo-EM and single particle analysis
• Application of trEM workflows to related complexes

Additional responsibilities include experimental design, data documentation, internal presentations, and dissemination of scientific results. The role demands creative leadership and the ability to work effectively in a team setting.

Experience and Competencies

The ideal candidate should embody Crick's core values: Bold, Open, and Collegial.

Essential Qualifications

• PhD in biochemistry or related fields (or in the final stages of submission)
• Expertise in cryo-electron microscopy and single particle analysis
• Practical experience with protein expression, purification, and in vitro protein biochemistry
• Publication record in peer-reviewed journals
• Ability to work independently and in a team
• Experience presenting data at scientific meetings

Desirable Qualifications

• Research in molecular mechanisms of helicases and/or DNA damage and repair pathways
• Interest in drug discovery
• High-resolution structure determination and model building experience
• Experience with conformationally dynamic systems

About the Francis Crick Institute and AstraZeneca

The Francis Crick Institute conducts leading-edge biomedical research in an open and collaborative environment. Partnering with AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company, we strive to attract top talent and provide exceptional development opportunities, including public engagement, education, and leadership training.

If you are ready to take on this unique and impactful role, please apply via our website. Successful candidates will undergo security screening and must have continuous eligibility to work in the UK. Visa support is available for successful applicants.

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Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to providing equal employment opportunities. Diversity is essential for scientific excellence,