Research and Project Technician – Cell Disruption & Microalgae Pretreatment
(12-Month Fixed-Term Contract - Extension Subject to Results)
- Location: Barrow upon Humber
- Monday to Friday (Early finish Friday)
- 9am - 5pm
About the company
The business develops climate-positive solutions from microalgae, producing natural protein- and omega-3-rich ingredients with a reduced environmental footprint. We are scaling innovative biotechnology processes and translating research into commercially viable production methods.
We are seeking a driven and hands-on Person to lead research focused on cell disruption, pretreatment, and lipid recovery optimisation from microalgae biomass.
Key Responsibilities
Cell Disruption & Pretreatment Development
Develop and optimise microalgae pretreatment methods to maximise lipid recovery
Apply and evaluate techniques including:
* Bead milling
* Sonication
* Enzymatic digestion
* Mechanical shear methods
Compare disruption efficiency, energy input, scalability, and impact on lipid integrity
Identify optimal conditions for EPA-rich oil recovery
Solvent Extraction Optimisation
Design and execute solvent-based extraction experiments
Optimise solvent systems, extraction parameters, and processing sequences
Evaluate oil yield, purity, and EPA concentration
Improve reproducibility and efficiency of extraction protocols
Mechanical Extraction & Separation
Conduct mechanical extraction trials
Assess separation techniques to isolate oil fractions efficiently
Evaluate performance in relation to pretreatment methods
Experimental Design & Analysis
Plan structured experimental programmes with clear hypotheses
Run laboratory and pilot-scale trials
Collate and analyse lipid recovery data and process metrics
Compare results across methods and present clear conclusions
Document both successful and unsuccessful outcomes with technical reasoning
Research & Cross-Team Collaboration
Stay up to date with current literature and best practices in biomass disruption and lipid extraction
Work closely with engineering teams to align lab findings with scale-up potential
Present findings to internal stakeholders, supporting knowledge transfer and decision-making
Recommend next-phase studies based on comparative results
About You
Desireable:
* MSc/equivalent or above in Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related field
* Hands-on experience with cell disruption and pretreatment methods
* Experience in solvent extraction optimisation
* Strong understanding of experimental design and data interpretation
* Confident presenting technical results to cross-functional teams
* Driven, analytical, and comfortable leading projects independently
What We Offer
* 12-month fixed-term contract with extension based on project outcomes
* Opportunity to lead and run your own technical projects
* Strong collaboration with engineering and R&D teams
* A sustainability-focused biotech environment
* Work that directly contributes to climate-positive innovation
Ideal Candidate
We are looking for someone who:
* Thrives in hands-on laboratory environments
* Is resilient and analytical when experiments fail
* Thinks comparatively and scientifically when evaluating methods
* Has the drive to innovate and improve processes
* Wants to contribute to scalable, sustainable biotechnology