Biochemist in Reading

Biochemist / Protein Scientist - Job Description

About the job

HERlab–a revolutionary AI and Synbio startup for Protein Production–is hiring a Senior Biochemist for an immediate start.

Before you read any further, a word from our CEO:

Hi there,

My name is Dei, I am the Founder and CEO at HERlab.

HERlab is an extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to 1) reduce the suffering of millions of lives–both human and animal–via climate impact and reduction of intensive farming; 2) help create one of the greatest scientific discovery platforms in the world; 3) get enormous returns from the effort we put in to building it – all at once.

If you are highly motivated to change the world, talented, and willing to pioneer turning science into real-world solutions – I look forward to reading your cover letter and CV ( ), and if we match, welcoming you to our brilliant team.

Best of luck!

Dei

In short:

• Senior Biochemist
• On-site full-time position in Canterbury (50 min from London St Pancras via train)
• Immediate start (ideally, but flexible)
• HERlab–High Efficiency Research Laboratory–is exploring unconventional microorganisms for recombinant protein production. Our aim is to achieve a positive impact in food, bio-based materials, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries by finding sustainable ways of producing needed proteins at scale, affordable and clean. We believe in and use cutting-edge technologies and cross-disciplinary approaches.

About you

A successful candidate will not be afraid to 1) think big; 2) step outside their comfort zone and work with unknowns; 3) care about the science and its impact on the real world.

If that’s you – we will love working with you (and you will love working with us).

Broad qualifications and requirements

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology, or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• Extensive experience in designing and developing bioanalytical methods, including HPLC, LC-MS/MS, GC, GC-MS, and NMR.
• Proficient in protein purification techniques such as affinity chromatography and size exclusion chromatography, and subsequent protein characterization (SDS-PAGE, ELISA, mass spectrometry, etc.), and a deep understanding of protein chemistry.
• Ability to work independently and develop your own methods, staying up to date with the latest developments to drive innovation and improve existing processes and protocols.
• Effective teamwork and strong communication skills—essential for collaborating within a small team.
• Present and document results clearly and concisely for the team and partners, with excellent attention to detail and precision in record-keeping and documentation.
• Provide guidance to colleagues, fostering a collaborative, supportive, and high-performance culture.
• Maintain a productive and safe working environment by developing and updating procedures, SOPs, working practices, and risk assessments.

Nice to haves

• Practical experience in prokaryotic and eukaryotic engineering, design and construction of genetic systems and familiarity with the latest cloning techniques.
• Expertise in bioreactor design, operation and optimisation would be beneficial.
• Experience with the genetic engineering of yeast would be highly desirable.
• Previous experience characterising protein candidates, including analysis of post-translational modifications (glycosylation, etc), disulfide bond structure, etc, would be extremely beneficial.
• Familiarity using and/or analysing waste feedstocks would be highly desirable.
• Knowledge of cGMPs and QbD principles.

Why work with us?

HERlab is a startup made for market needs.

We are not a spin-out from University, we know our goals and we are laser focused on achieving them.

We are acknowledged: our Founder was selected to be the inaugural GFI’s Entrepreneur-in-residence, Accenture’s dedicated mentee, we won 5 Innovate UK grants, and, in arguably one of the hardest investment times, we successfully closed our financing round.

We look at problems differently, proactively question the standard and build systems to find innovations that are ahead of time.

We are true pioneers.

We are proud to be a diverse team, but really – that’s just the way it should be.

With the proven right attitude, you will have a unique opportunity to shape the direction and growth of the company, making a significant impact on its success.