Opportunities

Research Associate in Chemical Biology

We are seeking an ambitious and creative chemical biologist to join the group of Prof Ed Tate at Imperial College, working on design and application of disruptive new technologies for novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) discovery. The position is available full time, starting by early 2025.

ADCs offer the potential to improve the quality of life for millions of patients by combining unprecedented efficacy with reduced side effects; they are among the fastest-growing classes of drugs, with a market expected to reach over $30 billion in the next 10 years. This is a rapidly evolving field, and ADC-related spinouts from our lab have raised over $100 million in Venture investment to date (e.g. Myricx Bio, https://myricxbio.com/).

The Tate lab recently developed a powerful technology platform for de novo discovery of the critical linker component of an ADC, enabling selective release of the drug to deliver maximum therapeutic index, combining high potency with low toxicity. You will join a team of outstanding scientists in the Tate lab at Imperial’s state-of-the art £200M Molecular Sciences Research Hub, and at our recently-founded spinout company, Siftr Bio (https://www.linkedin.com/company/siftr-bio/), co-located at Imperial’s White City Campus. You will have the unique opportunity to make foundational contributions to ADC linker technology and its application to in vivo proof of concept studies, whilst collaborating with entrepreneurial innovators at a fast-moving newly formed biotech.

For more information or to apply, visit: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-jobs/description/index.php?jobId=21300&jobTitle=Research+Associate+in+Chemical+Biology Application deadline 4th November 2024.

Fully funded 4-year PhD  - Molecular Glue Degraders

This project is part of a new Prosperity Partnership jointly supported by the UK government and AstraZeneca, in which groups at the Crick and Imperial College London collaborate with drug discovery scientists at AZ to develop novel approaches to discover molecular glues. Whilst the primary focus of the partnership is on intractable targets in cancer, the technologies developed have broad applications across many disease areas. More information about this exciting Partnership can be found here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/245036/new-partnership-will-molecular-glues-tackle. 

Across the 4 years of this chemical biology PhD You will have the opportunity to experience each stage of MGD discovery from selection of target proteins and effectors to MGD identification and optimisation. Your project will leverage state-of-the-art technology platforms developed in the Prosperity Partnership, including cellular and biochemical screens, gene editing and structure-based design, machine learning, and encoded library technologies. You will be supported by the unique collaborative environment of the Partnership, with more than 15 scientists exploring all aspects of MGD science, enabling you to receive hands-on training and supervision from deep experts in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, biochemistry and biophysics, molecular biology, and chemical proteomics. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate with scientists at partner organisations, including Micrographia Bio (https://www.micrographiabio.com/), a TechBio startup based at the Imperial White City campus innovating in sensitive and high-throughput spatial proteomics.

This project would suit a student with a strong molecular science background (for example, chemistry, chemical biology, molecular biology, biochemistry), ideally including hands-on lab experience applying molecular approaches in a relevant biological context. The scope of the project will be tailored to the interests and background of the student, and we are particularly looking for candidates with a passion for enabling new paradigms in drug discovery, with the enthusiasm to learn and apply a diverse range of modern chemical biology approaches. For more information, or to apply visit: Tate & Redmond | Unlocking intractable drug targets through rational discovery of Molecular Glue Degraders | Crick Application deadline 5th November 2024.

PhD studentships 

Any students interested in pursuing postgraduate research in our group other than the studentships listed above should contact Professor Tate directly; all prospective applicants should have or expect to obtain a 1st class honours degree (or equivalent) in chemistry, biochemistry, or a closely related discipline; non-UK students must be able to obtain independent funding for their studies, e.g. via a government bursary. 

Postdoctoral opportunities

We welcome informal enquiries from potential postdoctoral fellows with outstanding research track records who are prepared to apply for independent research funding, for example from the European Union, HFSP, etc. Full assistance will be given in preparing a competitive research proposal; we have an exceptional track record in accelerating the careers of outstanding postdoctoral researchers, with six Marie Curie fellows in our lab in the past four years.