Research Associate - Molecular Biologist

Job description

The Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) at King’s College London (KCL) is looking for a highly enthusiastic research scientist to drive collaborative research projects in the laboratory of Prof. Tony Ng, Head of the CCC.

The postholder will be part of the GlaxoSmithKline(GSK)-KCL Translational Oncology Research Hub, an exclusive research collaboration between GSK and the CCC at KCL. This partnership aims to create a personalised strategy for patients at high risk of recurrence by monitoring for dynamic biomarkers that can predict resistance during treatment or recurrence in the post-treatment phase.

The team will use a patient derived organoids (PDOs) and state-of-the-art imaging to study how tumour cells interact with immune cells techniques. These will be modelled in collaboration with the GSK AI Unit to distinguish between high and low risk patients.

The postholder will be responsible for developing and maintaining PDOs and apply a number of molecular biology and imaging assays in order to identify and model the tumour genomic, immune and exosomal changes that will distinguish patients that will have high and low risk of recurrence after primary treatment.

This post will be offered on an  a fixed-term contract for 3 years.

This is a full-time  post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

Specific

• To generate and maintain patient derived organoids (PDOs) from breast, lung, coloractal cancer tissue samples
• To perform organoid RNA transcriptome analysis  (e.g. by RNASeq)
• To perform exosome transcriptome analysis
• To work with others to use multiphoton imaging of tumour cells interacting with immune cells in organoids, to identify and model the tumour genomic, immune and exosomal changes.

Generic

• To carry out research on defined, funded projects
• To develop and refine experimental strategies
• To ensure the validity and reliability of data at all times
• To analyse and summarise research results and write reports and manuscripts
• To discuss experimental details, research projects and new articles with lab members
• To be involved in weekly laboratory meetings, support and advise other projects in the lab
• To attend research seminars and other meetings, both internal and external, as required
• To present research results at meetings and conferences

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential criteria

1. PhD awarded in relevant discipline
2. A keen interest and background in translational cancer research.
3. Knowledge of cancer biology, particularly the tumour microenvironment 
4. Experience in isolation and analysis of extracellular vesicles, in particular cancer exosomes.
5. Experience in tumour 3D culture/co-culture systems (tumour cell spheroid and/or organoid culture) and their treatment with chemotherapeutics and targeted agents.
6. Expertise in digital droplet PCR and/or other methods of gene expression analysis.
7. Experience in advanced light microscopy techniques e.g. multiphoton imaging, confocal imaging.
8. Previous publications, abstracts and presentations at national or international meetings

Desirable criteria

1. Experience with CRISPR/Cas9 technology, including the CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) technique.
2. Expertise in lentiviral mediated gene delivery and vector design  
3. Experience in fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) for the analysis of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET).

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance.