Research Assistant in Biocrystallisation

Job number
- **ENG03368**
- Faculties
- **Faculty of Engineering**
- Salary or Salary range
- **N/A**
- Location/campus
- **South Kensington Campus - Hybrid**
- Contract type work pattern
- **Full time - Fixed term**
- Posting End Date
- **5 Jan 2025**

**About the role**:
The Department of Chemical Engineering is seeking **two** Research Assistants to work on (1) the effect of impurities on the crystallisation of proteins and (2) control of peptides nucleation and crystallisation. The posts are funded by the UKRI and associated with a Marie Sklodowska Curie Action Doctoral Network on Crystallisation Towards Efficient and Sustainable Biomanufacturing (ProCrystal). As part of this post, you will enroll on a PhD programme under the supervision of Professor Jerry Heng and be part of a collaborative research programme conducted by 15 PhD students and 11 academic institutions and multiple industrial partners across Europe.

**What you would be doing**:
Downstream processing of biopharmaceuticals is dominated by chromatographic steps which suffer from low throughput, poor scalability and elevated energy consumption, as well as high equipment and materials costs. To this is added the low stability and high degradability of liquid formulations. ProCrystal’s goal is to develop crystallisation as a simple, sustainable, cost-efficient and scalable alternative to current DSP techniques and liquid formulations, once it allows to separate, purify and stabilise in a single step. ProCrystal’s programme will span both fundamental understanding of the underlying phenomena, from the molecular scale to process scale, and advanced experimental and modelling techniques specific to crystallisation technology.

Recruited researchers can be of any nationality and must comply with the following mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Researchers must not have spent more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment in the same appointing organisation.

**What we are looking for**:
The following essential knowledge, skills & experience are sought:

- Practical experience in some of the following: crystallisation, solubility measurements, microscopy, spectroscopic techniques, microscopy, electron microscopy, spectroscopy techniques, and particle synthesis.
- Practical experience in relevant research areas (peptide/protein crystallisation, nucleation and crystallisation, crystal characterisation, materials characterisation, etc.).
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary and diverse team.
- Recruited researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.

**What we can offer you**:
**About Imperial**

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.

**Our Culture**

Our values are at the root of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.

**Further information**:
The contract will run for 36 months, with the option for either full time or part time employment. The post is based in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London (South Kensington Campus).

Further information about the post is available in the job description.

**Closing date: 5**th** January 2025 (Midnight)**

**Interview Dates**:

- The College believes that the use of animals in research is vital to improve human and animal health and welfare. Animals may only be used in research programmes where their use is shown to be necessary for developing new treatments and making medical advances. Imperial is committed to ensuring that, in cases where this research is deemed essential, all animals in the College’s care are treated with full respect, and that all staff involved with this work show due consideration at every level._
- Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination and to creating an inclusive working environment. We are an Athena SWAN Silver award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident Employer and work in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people._

**Available documents**:

- Attached documents are