Job Description
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)
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.
The Role
This position is centred on maximising lipid recovery through advanced microalgae pretreatment and cell disruption techniques, combined with downstream extraction optimisation.
You will take ownership of experimental design, conduct hands-on laboratory testing, analyse and interpret data, and present structured findings (including both successes and failures) to internal teams.
This role offers the opportunity to lead your own projects, supported by engineering and technical colleagues, while driving innovation in process development.
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
Essential:
* 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
Desirable:
* Experience working with microalgae or microbial biomass
* Familiarity with lipid analysis techniques
* Exposure to process scale-up or pilot plant operations
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