Job Title: Senior Scientist – Erythroid Cell Culture & Enzyme Expression
Company: Scarlet Therapeutics
Location: Science Creates Old Market, Midland Road, Bristol
Application closing date: 10th January 2026
Start date: Flexible, H1 2026
Salary: Flexible, (depending on experience)
Job Description:
We are seeking an experienced Senior Scientist with a PhD to lead erythroid cell culture and enzyme expression activities. The successful candidate will have deep expertise in growing and differentiating red blood cells and expressing enzymatic proteins in these systems. This role will play a key part in establishing robust, high-expression erythroid platforms and supporting downstream functional evaluation.
Key Responsibilities:
* Establish, maintain, and optimise red blood cell and erythroid progenitor culture and differentiation systems
* Express enzymatic proteins in erythroid and related mammalian cell systems
* Optimise expression conditions to maximise enzyme yield, stability, and functionality
* Design and implement gene delivery strategies, including lentiviral expression vectors
* Troubleshoot erythroid differentiation and expression challenges
* Collaborate on enzymatic assay execution and interpretation to assess enzyme activity
* Independently design and execute experiments, including data analysis and documentation
Key Qualifications:
* PhD in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Haematology, Biochemistry, or a related field
* Extensive hands-on experience primary cell culture and differentiation
* Proven track record of expressing enzymes in mammalian cell systems
* Experience with lentiviral vectors or comparable gene delivery technologies
* Strong experimental design, optimisation, and troubleshooting skills
Preferred Qualifications:
* Experience with primary erythroid cells or stem-cell–derived erythroid systems
* Extensive hands-on experience with red blood cell or erythroid progenitor culture and differentiation
* Familiarity with enzymatic assays and functional characterisation of expressed proteins
* Background in translational or applied research environments
About Scarlet Therapeutics:
Scarlet Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing transformative therapies. Building on more than a decade of world-renowned research in Bristol, UK, the team at Scarlet is pioneering unique technology to harness the potential of blood as medicine, positioning the company to become the global leader in the field of therapeutic red blood cells.
We offer a fantastic working environment that is part of Science Creates, a Bristol-based deep tech ecosystem, combining specialist incubator facilities, a network of strategic partners and a dedicated venture capital fund.
Scarlet Therapeutics is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe in the power of diverse perspectives to drive our innovation and progress. To qualify for this position, you will need to be authorized to live and work in the UK.
In your application, please send a CV and a covering letter stating your motivations and what you think you could bring to the role to leanne.parks@scarlet-tx.com.