Laboratory Technician (Biology)

Location: Cambridge

Contract: Full-time and permanent

Sector: Biotechnology

Salary: £26,000 - £28,000

Work Hours: 40 hrs a week, Monday to Friday (09:00 - 17:30)

Our client is an innovative biotechnology company based outside of the centre of Cambridge. They have built a platform to synthesise DNA and RNA which provides exciting possibilities for ensuring cheaper, faster and more accurate DNA / gene constructs than traditional plasmid-based methods. They work with external partners to develop gene therapy projects and have some internal projects too. Additionally they have AAV and Lipid-nanoparticle technology platforms in-house. In a key phase of their growth, our client is looking to bring a Technician to their process development team on a full-time and permanent basis.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity suitable for a BSc holder in a biological or biochemical discipline, ideally someone with existing laboratory experience in addition to their degree. As a Laboratory Technician, you will be responsible for:

* Supporting the process development team with synthetic DNA and RNA projects.

* Safe preparation and storage of buffers and chemical solutions.

* Set up and use protein purification systems (AKTA and TFF - Tangential Flow Filtration) and analytical equipment such as HPLC.

* Handling DNA and RNA including quantification and extraction.

* Performing basic laboratory protocols including agarose gel electrophoresis and pipetting.

* Maintain the laboratory space through cleaning and inventory management.

* Record scientific data in accordance with company policy.

* Attending company / team meetings.

* Additional responsibilities not included in this list.

Skills and Experience Needed

The ideal candidate will have the following:

* BSc in Biology / Biochemistry OR a laboratory apprenticeship OR 1-2 years of prior laboratory experience (essential, equivalent experience okay)

* Prior experience in 2 or more of the following: micropipetting (micro litre to hundred millilitre scale), AKTA, Tangential flow filtration (TFF), agarose gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, nucleic acid quantification (DNA/RNA with Qubit or nanodrop), western blotting (essential)

* Excellent attention to detail. (essential)

* Ability to work effectively in a team and individually (essential)

* Experience in using AKTA purification systems, or TFF (desired)

* Experience working in an industrial biological laboratory (desired)

* MUST HAVE Right to work in the UK without need for visa sponsorship now, or in the future.

The Package

As an up-and-coming Cambridge Biotech, our client is able to offer a competitive salary, progression options and benefits package including private pension