Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Engineering Biology

University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science
Oxford
1 year ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Research Scientist - Antibody Development

We are seeking a full-time PDRA to join Oxford Centre for Tissue Engineering and Bioprocessing (OCTEB) at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science (Headington). The post is funded by BBSRC and is fixed-term for two years.

This project is to develop simple cell (SimCell, non-dividing bacteria cell) based biocatalyst to transform waste from cultured meat process into essential amnio acids and growth factors to achieve a sustainable production. You will be responsible for developing a bioreactor system in which immobilised SimCells can feed on mammalian cell culture waste and produce necessary amino acids and growth factors for mammalian cells.

You will hold a PhD/Dphil or be near completion* in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or a closely related field, together with relevant experience. Experience in designing bioreactors for mammalian cell culture and sufficient specialist knowledge in the cell encapsulation/immobilisation is also required. You will have the ability to manage own academic research and associated activities with an excellent publication record commensurable to the career stage and the ability to contribute ideas for new research projects and research income generation.



For more information about working at the Department, see


Only online applications received before midday on19th April 2024can be considered. You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement, including a brief statement of research interests (describing how past experience and future plans fit with the advertised position), CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application.

The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze award, highlighting its commitment to promoting women in Science, Engineering and Technology.
Cell cultured meat, bioreactors, biomaterials for cell immobilisation, SimCells, Engineering biology

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Biotechnology Jobs for Career Switchers in Their 30s, 40s & 50s (UK Reality Check)

Biotechnology is often portrayed as a young person’s game. White lab coats, fresh PhDs & long academic pipelines dominate the image. In reality, the UK biotechnology sector relies heavily on career switchers, mid-career professionals & people bringing experience from outside science. If you are in your 30s, 40s or 50s & thinking about moving into biotechnology, this article gives you a clear-eyed, UK-specific reality check. No hype. No Americanised career myths. Just an honest look at which biotech jobs are realistic, what retraining actually involves & how employers really think about age & background.

How to Write a Biotechnology Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Biotechnology is one of the UK’s most diverse and fast-moving sectors. From biopharma and diagnostics to industrial biotech, medtech and life sciences research, employers are competing for highly specialised talent with scarce, in-demand skills. Yet many biotechnology employers struggle with the same problem: job adverts that attract the wrong candidates. Roles are often flooded with unsuitable applications, while highly qualified scientists, engineers and regulatory professionals either do not apply or disengage early in the process. In most cases, the issue is not the talent pool — it is the job advert itself. Biotechnology professionals are trained to think critically, assess evidence and understand context. If a job ad is vague, inflated or poorly targeted, it signals a lack of clarity and credibility — and strong candidates simply move on. This guide explains how to write a biotechnology job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and positions your organisation as a serious, trustworthy employer in the life sciences sector.

Maths for Biotech Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

Biotechnology is packed with data. Whether you are applying for roles in drug discovery, clinical research, bioprocessing, diagnostics, genomics or regulated manufacturing, you will meet numbers every day: assay readouts, QC trends, dose response curves, sequencing counts, clinical endpoints, stability profiles, validation reports & risk assessments. If you are a UK job seeker moving into biotech from another sector or you are a student in biology, biochemistry, biomedical science, pharmacy, chemistry, engineering or computer science, it is normal to worry you “do not have the maths”. What biotech roles do need is confidence with a small set of practical topics that show up again & again. This guide focuses on the only maths most biotech job adverts quietly assume: • Biostatistics basics for experiments, evidence & decision making • Probability for variability, uncertainty & risk • Linear algebra essentials for omics, PCA & modelling workflows • Calculus basics for kinetics, rates & dose response intuition • Simple optimisation for curve fitting, process set points & model tuning