Francis Crick Institute
Job title:
SLRS Medicinal Chemist
Company
Francis Crick Institute
Job description
SLRS Medicinal ChemistReports to: PLRS Medicinal Chemist STPThis is a full-time, permanent position on Crick terms and conditions of employmentOverviewThe position is within the Chemical Biology Science and Technology Platform (STP), a newly formed and expanding interdisciplinary group, at the Francis Crick Institute. The STP collaborates with researchers at the Crick to apply chemistry to explore biological questions, working at the cutting edge of biomedical science in disciplines such as cancer, infectious disease, immunology, neurology, and developmental biology. Our research focuses on the design, synthesis and application of chemical tools to explore the function and disease-relevance of proteins, pathways and phenotypes, paving the way to translating biological insights into clinical impact.The group integrates technical expertise in small molecule and peptide synthetic chemistry, with medicinal chemistry and pharmacology, in addition to interfacing closely with the proteomics, metabolomics, structural biology and high throughput screening STPs. This enables us to develop and apply of a broad spectrum of chemical biology techniques. The group also taps into the thriving science and technology community based around London’s knowledge quarter to bring new Chemical Biology technologies to the Crick via projects with external collaborators.Role SummaryThe STP is recruiting for a creative and driven Medicinal Chemist/Chemical Biologist to expand the capability of the group, filling a unique scientific position in this recently established STP. The candidate will contribute to broadening the scientific capability of the STP, identifying unmet needs in chemical biology and leading projects to address them. They will independently prosecute both laboratory-based and consultancy-based STP collaborative projects. The candidate will have a particular focus on projects involving the design, synthesis and application of small molecule based chemical tools, to address complex biological questions. The successful applicant will be an independent thinker, able to develop new protocols and methods, using cutting edge chemical tools to tackle complex biological problems.Key responsibilities will include;Identification and evaluation of opportunities for collaboration in support of work carried out within Crick-based research groups. Working independently, actively and creatively to design and execute strategies to address them.Provision of advice and practical input on the selection, design, synthesis and application of chemical probes.Design and prosecution of synthetic routes to access small molecule target compounds.Medicinal chemistry optimisation of hits to generate high quality tool compounds (using physicochemical properties, generation and analysis of on-target SAR in biochemical and cell-based assays, selectivity profiling, structure-based design etc).Provision of chemistry input to target-based and phenotypic screens; library design, screening strategy and evaluation and validation of hits.Collaboration with other STPs and research groups to characterise target engagement and molecular mode of action of chemical tools, applying biophysical assays, crystallography, cryoEM and omics profiling.Flexible working across all scientific specialisms within the STP, depending on the project requirements, including design and synthesis of peptide-based tools.Continuous professional development as an active member of the scientific community by writing scientific articles, as well as presenting research findings at scientific meetings and/or conferences.Application of chemistry knowledge to support the Crick in pursuing translational opportunities, as and when they arise.Key experience and competenciesThe post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values: Bold, Open, and Collegial, in addition to the following:Essential:PhD (or equivalent experience level) in a relevant discipline such as synthetic organic chemistry, chemical biology or medicinal chemistry. Applicants with additional postdoctoral experience (or equivalent experience) are encouraged to apply.A strong track record of developing innovative solutions to chemical biology or medicinal chemistry questions in academic or industrial research, supported by publications in peer-reviewed journals.A deep knowledge of Medicinal Chemistry principles for the selection and design of small molecule chemical probes.Excellent knowledge of theoretical and practical synthetic chemistry, combined with a track record of high laboratory productivity.An awareness of contemporary chemical biology techniques in relation to small molecule drug discovery or tool compounds, including their application in target identification, engagement, validation and tractability.Experience of successfully collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver on research projects.Excellent written and oral communication skills.Good time management, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to defined milestones.Learning agility, initiative and drive; demonstrated ability to quickly develop new skills and gain an understand unfamiliar scientific areas.DesirablePractical experience of application of chemical biology techniques for target identification and validation (e.g. activity-based probes, chemoproteomics etc).Experience of the optimisation small molecule pharmacokinetic data and its application in the design of in vivo studies.Experience of training and/or supervision.Experience in drug discovery and/or translational science.Find out what benefits the Crick has to offer:For more information on our great pay and benefits package please click here:Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, pregnancy, age, disability, or civil partnership, marital or family status. We particularly welcome applications from people who are Minority Ethnic as they are currently underrepresented in the Crick at this level.Diversity is essential to excellence in scientific endeavour. It increases breadth and perspective, leading to more innovation and creativity. We want the Crick to be a place where everyone feels valued and where diversity is celebrated and seen as part of the foundation for our Institute’s success.The Crick is committed to creating equality of opportunity and promoting diversity and inclusivity. We all share in the responsibility to actively promote dignity, respect, inclusivity and equal treatment and it is our aim to ensure that these principles are reflected and implemented in all strategies, policies and practices.Read more on our website:
Expected salary
Location
London
Job date
Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:26:10 GMT
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