The Role
You will be part of a multidisciplinary team that includes biologists, structural biologists and chemists based in the Newcastle Cancer Centre that aims to identify new therapeutic approaches to treat cancer. You can find out more about our research on our dedicated web pages:
You will report to Professor Jane Endicott, Professor Martin Noble and the Institute Technical Manager. As laboratory co-ordinator you will maintain oversight of the program’s laboratory activity. You will provide specialised technical support for protein expression, purification, characterisation, crystallisation and structure determination to a group using structural and chemical biology to understand the roles and mechanisms of cyclin-dependent protein kinases to generate hypotheses for drug discovery.
You will assist in the running of the insect cell laboratory. An in-depth knowledge of technical or scientific practices, methods and procedures gained through experience and/or formal qualification will enable you to provide a range of technical support activities.
You must be reliable, flexible and able to work well, both unsupervised and in an interdisciplinary team. Working as part of a professional community you will provide a technical support service to staff and students by mainly following established working patterns, resolving most challenges without reference to more senior colleagues.
Based in the Faculty of Medical Sciences you will join the Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation Newcastle Drug Discovery Group.
The position is funded by the Medical Research Council and is available on a fixed term basis until 30/09/2026.
Informal approaches can be made to Professor Jane Endicott () or Professor Martin Noble ().
Information about the Faculty of Medical Sciences is available at: .
Key Accountabilities
1. You will be the laboratory co-ordinator for the group. Maintaining oversight of laboratory activity and assisting with the smooth running of the group
2. You will be responsible for developing new protocols, under academic direction and following independent literature review
3. You will regularly consult with academic staff regarding developing new or improved methods for experimental systems
4. You will troubleshoot technical issues with equipment and methodology as needed in consultation with others in the research group
5. Assist in the running of the insect cell laboratory
6. Contribute to the structural biology programme and to be responsible, following consultation with academic staff, for (i) recombinant expression of proteins in insect and bacterial cells; (ii) protein characterisation and assay development; (iii) protein crystallisation
7. Monitoring the satisfactory operation of laboratory biophysics equipment housed within the group (specifically the fluorescent plate reader (PHERAstar, BMG Labtech) and FPLCs for protein purification and characterisation (Cytiva) and maintain equipment through scheduling and assisting in their regular cleaning and calibration
8. Present results at internal and external meetings and assist with writing publications
9. Keep excellent laboratory records of all experimental procedures and outcomes, enabling interpretation with team members located at different institutes
10. You should be able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, to share information with colleagues
11. You will be able to contribute to laboratory meetings e.g. problem solving, internal seminars, journal club
12. Assist with the completion and updating of a wide range of safety paperwork, e.g., risk assessments and safety laboratory records (e.g. COSHH) in consultation with academic staff
13. You will complete accident reporting and assist with investigations
14. Maintain in-depth and up-to-date health and safety knowledge relevant to the specialism
15. Organise and assist in general laboratory duties such as stores, equipment maintenance and general cleaning
16. Source and negotiate with suppliers for a range of items including specialist parts/equipment
17. Liaise regularly with the line manager to prioritise tasks and organise workload for the satisfactory completion of inter-institute research activities, requiring access to multiple facilities and equipment
18. Liaise with bioscience and chemistry colleagues to identify and optimise opportunities for further collaboration
19. Provide advice, assistance and training to academic, technical and research staff and students, on specific experimental techniques and in the use of specialised laboratory equipment. Assist in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
20. Experience in project management and priority setting
21. Expertise in contemporary molecular biology techniques
22. Expertise in recombinant protein expression in bacteria and in insect/mammalian cells for structural studies
23. Expertise in protein purification and characterisation
24. Presentation of work at scientific meetings
25. Expertise with biochemical and biophysical techniques for assessing protein quality and/or protein-ligand interactions
26. Expertise with protein crystallisation
27. Thorough working knowledge of Health and Safety procedures
28. Excellent team working skills
29. Demonstratable technical and problem-solving capacity and a capacity for original thought
30. Good IT and computing skills
31. Willingness to learn new techniques and develop experimental skill set
32. Ability to contribute to design and specification of research/teaching activities
Desirable
33. Good organising ability to meet deadlines, with a positive and proactive approach to duties and diligence and attention to detail
34. Ability to adapt to changes in laboratory research priorities.
Attributes and Behaviour
35. Tact, diplomacy and able to handle difficult situations
36. Ability to meet deadlines with effective time and resource management
37. Clear communicator and active listener
38. Consistent and appropriate approach to staff and situations
39. Use of feedback for process improvement and staff development
40. Team player, self starter and able to manage complex workload
41. Ability to respond enthusiastically and positively to undergraduate students
Qualifications
42. Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant science subject - preferably biomedical/biochemistry
43. Research experience in protein expression in insect cells, protein biochemistry, biophysics or X-ray crystallography
Desirable
44. Masters qualification in a relevant subject
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 26859
We ensure there's something for everyone and these benefits include: a cycle-to-work schemeshopping discountscompetitive pension schemehealth and wellbeing initiativesactivities and eventsgenerous leavediscounted travelChristmas shutdown