106 Cell Biology jobs in the United Kingdom

About Us

Exscientia is an AI-driven precision medicine company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in the fastest and most effective manner. Exscientia developed the first-ever functional precision oncology platform to successfully guide treatment selection and improve patient outcomes in a prospective interventional clinical study, as well as to progress AI-designed small molecules into the clinical setting. Our internal pipeline is focused on leveraging our precision medicine platform in oncology, while our partnered pipeline broadens our approach to other therapeutic areas. By pioneering a new approach to medicine creation, we believe the best ideas of science can rapidly become the best medicines for patients.


The Role

We are expanding our in vitro cell biology capabilities at our new state-of-the-art laboratories in Milton Park and are seeking an experienced, motivated, and dynamic individual to join the Primary Pharmacology team. This team provides critical data driving our drug discovery projects and is in charge of conceiving, developing, and executing cellular assays for a range of target classes, often in areas of novel biology.

You will be given the freedom to design, plan and execute a variety of experiments ensuring that assays are fit-for-purpose, and that data is appropriately quality-controlled. In our newly built laboratories, we have access to a wide array of assay technologies (FRET, luminescence, FACs, imaging) with automation capabilities and are continually striving to deploy the latest technologies and develop ever more efficient processes. For this reason, we're seeking an adaptable scientist who thrives when working across multiple projects.

Please note this is an on-site role at our Milton Park site in Oxford, with occasional flexibility to work from home in the UK. We are a flexible working organisation and we’re willing to consider other options which would provide similar contact time with the team.

We may also hire this role at the Senior Scientist level. If you have 4+ years of practical cell biology experience in primary pharmacology, please feel free to apply and we will consider your application for a more senior role.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Develop assays to help drive development of therapeutic small molecules with a focus on compound characterisation and the rapid identification of candidate molecules.
• Learn the latest scientific developments, evaluate new technologies and will have the opportunity to present both internally and externally.
• Gain exposure to all scientific disciplines within the drug discovery process from target validation to candidate selection.

Requirements

• BSc / MSc / PhD in Oncology, Biology, Pharmacology, or a related discipline degree or significant relevant experience, preferably in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
• 2+ years professional experience (Postdoc or industrial) in a cell biology role.
• Practical experience with sterile techniques, cell culture, In vitro assay development and assay optimisation.
• Practical experience of cell-based assays (such as proliferation, cell binding, cytokine release, and tumour killing), and screening including dose-response relationships.
• Knowledge of a wide range of assay technologies such as FRET, flow cytometry and imaging.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with ability to communicate technical information to a non-specialist audience.

Benefits

• Join our inclusive, collaborative and intellectually stimulating organisation with strong company values.
• As a learning organisation, we provide access to learning and development opportunities and will place you at the forefront of your career growth at Exscientia.
• We employ brilliant people so we pay highly competitive salaries. Additionally, all our employees are eligible for a company-wide annual bonus and receive both a new joiner and annual share award.
• Enjoy our generous holiday allowance and flexible working approach to find a healthy work-life balance that works for you.
• Create amazing memories or progress your personal and professional development with our four-week paid sabbatical after four years of service.
• We’re leading the way in progressive leave, offering enhanced policies such as generous parental leave, surrogacy, menopause, and family emergency leave so you feel supported no matter the life event.
• Additionally, we support childcare costs for children aged 0-5 through our affordable childcare scheme.
• Take advantage of two generous salary exchange schemes to claim discounts on a brand new electric vehicle and cycling equipment worth up to £3,500.
• As a healthcare company, we understand the importance of health and wellbeing so we provide comprehensive private health insurance, dental and vision benefits for you and your family.
• We also provide plenty of access to mental health support including therapy and counselling sessions plus an employee assistance program for help with lifestyle issues such as bereavement, family problems or money management.
• To help safeguard the future for you and your loved ones, we also offer pension and life cover.
• Help yourself to free drinks and snacks in our fully stocked kitchens. Join your colleagues in one of our many breakout areas and get to know the people you are working with. Some of the best ideas start with a coffee break!
• Feel inspired in our high spec labs where you will use state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation that enable you to do your best work.
• We’ll even support your home office environment with an allowance for furniture and equipment to make your space as comfortable and productive as possible.
• Learn more about why our team enjoy working at Exscientia here

About EIT:

Led by a world-class faculty of scientists, technologists, policy makers, economists and entrepreneurs, the Ellison Institute of Technology aims to develop and deploy commercially sustainable solutions to solve some of humanity’s most enduring challenges. Our work is guided by four Humane Endeavours: Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology, Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture, Climate Change & Managing Atmospheric CO2 and Artificial Intelligence & Robotics.

Set for completion in 2027, the EIT Campus in Littlemore will include more than 300,000 sq ft of research laboratories, educational and gathering spaces. Fuelled by growing ambition and the strength of Oxford’s science ecosystem, EIT is now expanding its footprint to a 2 million sq ft Campus across the western part of The Oxford Science Park. Designed by Foster + Partners led by Lord Norman Foster, this will become a transformative workplace for up to 7,000 people, with autonomous laboratories, purpose-built laboratories including a plant sciences building and dynamic spaces to spark interdisciplinary collaboration.

EIT fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and resilience, valuing diverse expertise to drive sustainable solutions to humanity’s enduring challenges.

About The Plant Biology Institute

The Plant Biology Institute, headed by Professor Steve Kelly, is a key part of the Ellison Institute of Technology. The institute aims to develop impactful and commercially sustainable solutions for improving global food production and planetary health through pioneering plant science research.

The Plant Biology Institute will unite world-class researchers who are focused on expanding the frontiers of plant science. Our research is focused on enhancing our ability to feed the planet while simultaneously improving the climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production. By embedding cutting-edge plant science research within an organisation that is focused on solving global challenges at scale, we aim to accelerate the timeline from discovery to global impact.

Areas of exploration include:

• Improved plant productivity, both indoors and outside.
• Reduced reliance on inputs including water, fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides.
• Novel decarbonised plant-based production platforms for food and medicines.
• Advanced technologies that speed up discovery and deployment in plants. 

Researchers will have access to state-of-the-art laboratory and plant growth facilities and have opportunities to collaborate with experts at the forefront of research on AI, automation, and generative biology across the EIT ecosystem. They will also work with global leaders in market development, commercialisation, and impact creation. The Plant Biology Institute has long-term substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its vision.

EIT is seeking a visionary and accomplished Senior Group Leader in Plant and Cell Tissue Culture to lead a transformative research programme at the forefront of plant biotechnology. This senior leadership role is integral to shaping a newly established and rapidly scaling Plant Biology Institute, which aims to become a global leader in plant science research addressing humanity’s greatest challenges. The successful candidate will spearhead innovative research focused on advancing plant and cell tissue culture for novel decarbonised plant-based production of food and/or medicines, guiding projects from fundamental discovery through to technological development and scalable application. You will build and manage a high-performing, interdisciplinary team, develop cross-sector collaborations, and ensure research excellence is translated into commercial opportunities aligned with EIT’s mission of humane and sustainable innovation. This is a rare opportunity to define the scientific direction of a next-generation research hub tackling some of the planet’s most pressing issues.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Take a leading role in the establishment and growth of the institute, ensuring that it delivers on its vision to achieve scientific excellence, real world impact and commercial sustainability.
• Develop and lead a world-class research program in plant and cell tissue culture for novel decarbonised plant-based production of food and/or medicines.
• Understand the path to impact for the research program. To design and execute research programs and to ensure that all research programs are value and purpose driven. To guide the pathway from fundamental research to technology development, demonstration to systems development.
• Recruit and lead a top talent team of research scientists including group leaders, post docs and PhD candidates. To hire based on competency, experience and values. To manage based on clear performance targets and with accountability. To maintain a positive, engaged culture, in line with EIT Oxford values.

Collaboration and Communication

• Generate, maintain and manage collaborations with key teams across EIT Oxford and in the wider scientific and commercial ecosystem to accelerate the path to scientific discovery and impact. To maintain key stakeholder relationships.
• Work, where appropriate, with translational teams to translate the results of research into commercial opportunities consistent with EITs humane endeavours. 
• Publish the work of the group in appropriate internationally visible scientific journals and other relevant media. 
• Present the results of the research at national and international meetings and conferences. 
• Plan the scientific direction of the research programme aimed at key questions within the institute. 

 Research Designed for Impact

• Direct the activities of the research group by supervising some projects personally and overseeing projects delegated to group members. You will be expected to provide the intellectual energy and independent thinking necessary to lead a programme of cutting-edge research and to shape the overall aims and success of the group. 
• Determining, obtaining and managing the resource requirements. Including staffing, to sustain the programme. Managing research programme through stage gated milestones, with active, no/no-go decisions based on validated research data. Designing research programmes to enable application engineering requirements to be considered through development and implementation.  Identifying pre-emptive decisions to enable future scale-up.
• Recognising and acting on opportunities for the creation of intellectual property and cooperating in patent protection and in impact delivery. 
• Ensuring the research is conducted in accordance with good practice and in compliance with EIT's policies and legal requirements. 

Requirements

Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• Leader of research groups within academia or industry.
• Recognised thought leader in their field.
• Proven ability to manage scientific output for a team of PhDs/Post doctoral researchers
• Experience delivering against long term strategic research programs.
• Experience of managing a large team of researchers and scientists including interdisciplinary workstream integration.
• Demonstration of commercial awareness and versatility of research that could serve a wide range of different applications (e.g. oils, pharmaceuticals, foods); Development of partnerships with engineering, technical partners and licensees/channel partners.
• Project management, communication and resource allocation experience.
• Ability to build both internal and external relationships. Working collaboratively with others outside of their discipline.

Benefits

What we offer:

• Newly constructed, state-of-the-art laboratories and growth facilities with substantial core funding to support a research group.
• A collaborative research environment with highly skilled team working at the cutting edge of plant science to create commercially sustainable solutions that tackle humanities biggest challenges, including enabling sustainable agriculture and improving the climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production.
• Opportunities for professional development including publication, conferences, IP portfolio creation, spin-out generation, and leadership development.

We offer the following salary and benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electric Car Scheme

Why work for EIT:

At the Ellison Institute, we believe a collaborative, inclusive team is key to our success. We are building a supportive environment where creative risks are encouraged, and everyone feels heard. Valuing emotional intelligence, empathy, respect, and resilience, we encourage people to be curious and to have a shared commitment to excellence. Join us and make an impact!

Terms of Appointment:

• You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary.
• You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford.
• During peak periods, some longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones due to the global nature of the programme.

• Design, execute, and interpret complex molecular biology experiments to address critical research questions.
• Develop and validate new molecular assays and technologies for preclinical research.
• Lead independent research projects, defining objectives, methodologies, and timelines.
• Analyze and present scientific data clearly and concisely at internal and external meetings.
• Contribute to the identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets.
• Mentor and supervise junior research staff, providing scientific guidance and technical training.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including chemists, pharmacologists, and translational scientists.
• Stay current with the latest scientific literature and technological advancements in molecular biology and related fields.
• Contribute to patent applications and scientific publications.
• Manage laboratory resources and ensure compliance with safety and ethical guidelines.
• Troubleshoot experimental issues and develop innovative solutions.

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, or a related life science discipline.
• Extensive postdoctoral and/or industry experience (7+ years) in molecular biology research.
• Proven expertise in a broad range of molecular biology techniques, including PCR, qPCR, cloning, Western blotting, ELISA, gene editing (CRISPR), and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
• Demonstrated success in leading research projects and a strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience in drug discovery or a related therapeutic area is highly desirable.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific information effectively.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Experience with bioinformatics tools and data analysis is a plus.
• Strong understanding of cell biology and its interplay with molecular mechanisms.

• Lead and design complex molecular biology research projects from conceptualization to completion.
• Develop and validate novel experimental assays and protocols in areas such as molecular cloning, gene expression analysis, DNA/RNA purification, and PCR techniques.
• Perform advanced data analysis, interpretation, and visualization using bioinformatics tools and statistical methods.
• Contribute to the scientific strategy and direction of research programs.
• Write and present research findings in high-impact scientific publications and at international conferences.
• Supervise and mentor junior scientists and research associates.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including bioinformatics, chemistry, and clinical development.
• Ensure strict adherence to laboratory safety standards and best practices.
• Maintain detailed and accurate laboratory notebooks and records.
• Stay abreast of the latest scientific literature and emerging technologies in molecular biology and related fields.

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, or a related life science discipline.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of postdoctoral and/or industry research experience.
• Extensive hands-on experience with a broad range of molecular biology techniques.
• Demonstrated expertise in gene editing (CRISPR/Cas9), NGS, transcriptomics, proteomics, or advanced mammalian cell culture.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Proven ability to design, execute, and interpret complex experiments independently.
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Superb written and verbal communication skills, suitable for scientific presentations and publications.
• Experience working in a remote or distributed research environment is a plus.
• Proficiency in relevant bioinformatics software and statistical analysis tools.

• Design and execute complex molecular biology experiments independently.
• Investigate cellular mechanisms, gene expression, protein interactions, and other biological processes.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data using appropriate statistical methods and bioinformatics tools.
• Develop and optimize new experimental protocols and methodologies.
• Contribute to the writing of research papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Present research findings at internal meetings and external scientific conferences.
• Collaborate effectively with other researchers, technicians, and external collaborators.
• Maintain detailed and accurate laboratory notebooks and records.
• Ensure compliance with all laboratory safety regulations and ethical guidelines.
• Stay abreast of the latest scientific literature and advancements in molecular biology.
• Assist in the supervision and training of junior research staff and students.

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in a range of molecular biology techniques (e.g., PCR, qPCR, Western Blotting, ELISA, cloning, cell culture).
• Experience with data analysis software and statistical methods relevant to biological research.
• A strong publication record in reputable scientific journals.
• Excellent experimental design and troubleshooting skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and manage multiple projects concurrently.
• A proactive and enthusiastic approach to scientific research.
• Familiarity with bioinformatics tools and databases is a plus.
• A commitment to collaborative research and contributing to a positive team environment.

• Design, execute, and interpret complex molecular biology experiments to support R&D objectives.
• Develop and optimize novel assays and methodologies for target identification and validation.
• Lead research projects from conception through to completion, ensuring robust experimental design and data integrity.
• Analyze and interpret large datasets, employing statistical and bioinformatics tools.
• Prepare comprehensive research reports, manuscripts for publication, and presentations for scientific conferences and internal stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including biochemists, pharmacologists, and computational biologists.
• Mentor and train junior scientists and research associates, fostering scientific excellence within the team.
• Stay abreast of the latest scientific literature, technologies, and trends in molecular biology and related fields.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the research pipeline and identify new research opportunities.
• Maintain meticulous laboratory records and ensure compliance with all safety and regulatory guidelines.

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of post-doctoral or industry experience in molecular biology research.
• Proven track record of leading research projects and delivering impactful scientific results, evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Extensive hands-on experience with a wide range of molecular biology techniques (e.g., PCR, qPCR, Western blotting, cloning, gene editing, next-generation sequencing library preparation).
• Strong understanding of cell biology, genetics, and drug discovery processes.
• Proficiency in data analysis software and statistical methods.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific information clearly.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a hybrid research environment.
• Experience with bioinformatics tools and analysis is a significant advantage.

• Design, execute, and interpret complex molecular biology experiments independently.
• Lead research projects from conceptualization to publication or product development.
• Develop and optimize novel molecular biology assays and protocols.
• Analyze large datasets, utilizing statistical and bioinformatics tools.
• Mentor and guide junior scientists and research associates.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including biochemistry, cell biology, and computational biology departments.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in molecular biology and related fields.
• Prepare scientific manuscripts for publication in high-impact journals.
• Present research findings at international conferences and internal meetings.
• Contribute to patent applications and intellectual property development.
• Ensure compliance with all laboratory safety regulations and ethical guidelines.
• Manage project timelines and resources effectively.

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of post-doctoral research experience, with a strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Extensive hands-on experience with a wide range of molecular biology techniques (e.g., PCR, qPCR, cloning, gene editing, NGS library preparation, Western blotting).
• Proven experience in designing and executing complex experimental strategies.
• Strong understanding of bioinformatics tools and databases relevant to molecular biology.
• Demonstrated ability to lead research projects and mentor junior staff.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting scientific data.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks effectively.
• Familiarity with hybrid work models and collaboration tools.

• Design, execute, and interpret experiments related to molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology.
• Develop and optimize novel molecular assays and techniques.
• Perform DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, qPCR, cloning, sequencing, and other molecular techniques.
• Maintain meticulous records of experimental procedures, results, and analyses.
• Contribute to the writing of research papers, grant proposals, and scientific presentations.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional research teams and external partners.
• Troubleshoot experimental issues and develop solutions.
• Stay abreast of the latest scientific literature and advancements in molecular biology.
• Ensure compliance with all laboratory safety protocols and ethical guidelines.
• Assist in the training and supervision of junior research staff and interns.

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, or a related life science field.
• Postdoctoral experience or equivalent research experience in an academic or industry setting.
• Demonstrated expertise in a range of molecular biology techniques (e.g., Next-Generation Sequencing, CRISPR, protein expression).
• Proficiency in data analysis software and statistical methods.
• Proven track record of scientific publication and presentation.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a critical thinking approach.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced research environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture and aseptic techniques is desirable.