Based at Alderley Park, Medicines Discovery Catapult is a national Life Sciences service dedicated to turning drug discovery into commercial breakthroughs. We accelerate the development of science, and where there are areas of unmet patient need, we stimulate innovation. By transforming drug discovery, we can improve patient lives, increase the impact of the UK Life Sciences sector, and create a healthier society and economy. Our interventions work. Since we started, we have helped over 300 companies raise over £1bn of R&D investment. We seek passionate individuals who are eager to collaborate, innovate, and make a tangible difference in the field of drug discovery. Together, we can unlock new therapies, enhance patient outcomes, and ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of life sciences innovation. If you are ready to make an impact, we invite you to be part of our journey. The values of the Catapult are: Excellence – we continually strive to deliver the best solutions for our partners and for each other. In everything we do, we instil confidence. Integrity – Our strong commitment to what we do and why we are here drives us to do the right thing for our partners and each other. Community – We’re a strong team, we work well together, and we respect each other. Innovation - We’re driven by the need to make a difference. We constantly look for ways to drive change in our sector and how we work. Role purpose The role of Scientist in in vitro Immunology in the MDC Discovery group, would suit a highly motivated self-starter who is passionate about working in translational science and the application of primary immune cells in complex assays to recapitulate aspects of disease biology. Working in an interdisciplinary team, the successful candidate will apply their expertise in immune cell isolation, culture and assay development to deliver impactful results to both collaborative projects with external partners and internal innovation projects. The candidate will characterise the cellular biological response of various cell types in complex multicellular systems, with different stimulation / activation conditions. They will use the cellular assays to execute target validation and target engagement studies, assess disease response and characterise therapeutic mechanism of action in phenotypic assays. The successful candidate will also provide scientific input and innovative ideas to the team, ensuring that MDC is ahead of new developments in the field. The role will be within the Cellular Sciences team and the individual will work closely with colleagues in interdisciplinary projects. The role will also involve collaboration with external partners, including medicine discovery companies, technology providers and academic institutes. The opportunity to join a world class laboratory team in this high-profile national organisation, and contribute ideas, insights and creative science to highly innovative, collaborative projects should provide a fantastic platform for career development. Main duties and responsibilities: Apply immune biology expertise in the isolation and culture of various primary cells from human and mouse blood and tissues to support the delivery of projects. Design and deliver high quality experimental plans to evaluate phenotypic responses of immune cell subsets to address project objectives Contribute scientific, technical and disease area expertise, providing insights to further the development of the immunology platform across all technologies within the Catapult. Implement new approaches and workflows to address project questions and build new lab capability. Deliver high quality data in a complex and time pressured research team environment. Demonstrate effective communication and research collaboration skills, working with a wide range of colleagues in a range of academic and commercial organisations. Adhere to safe and effective lab processes and to governance requirements, including experimental record keeping. Qualifications, Skills and Experience BSc plus more than 3 years relevant experience in immune biology field or PhD in immunology/cell biology or related discipline Demonstrated evidence of applied practical expertise in culture of primary cells isolated from human blood Applied technical knowledge of methods to evaluate immune cell activation / phenotype and a demonstrated understanding of how these assays can be applied to translational projects Experienced in cell biology including the characterisation of cellular phenotypes and functional responses, including analysis of drug responses using flow cytometry Experience of Luminex and molecular profiling (eg RNAseq) would be an advantage Experience of working in collaborative project teams, with both internal and external colleagues Experience of working in a medicine discovery setting would be an advantage Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously in a highly collaborative and inter-disciplinary environment Ability to communicate effectively with both experts and non-experts in the field Closing date Friday 7th March 2025 Please note the closing date for applications may be brought forward if a high volume of applications are received.