Research Fellow in Stem Cell Bioprocessing

About us UCL Biochemical Engineering is seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Associate on a fixed-term of 10 months to be part of the growing UCL Cellular Agriculture Research Group led by Dr Petra Hanga (https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/84339-petra-hanga).

About the role This industrial research project aims to develop CULT-GRO, a novel cell-culture production system that will advance the sustainable protein revolution to enable the UK’s cultivated meat market to respond to food supply-chain demands more rapidly, policy changes, climate commitments, reducing carbon emissions and addressing the shortages in meat globally.

CULT-GRO will be developed by a sector-leading consortium made by two start-ups in the field (Quest Meat and Multus) and our team at UCL, building on strong pre-existing relationships to develop and validate CULT-GRO at scale in preparation for commercialisation as well as driving future collaborative R&D.

This collaborative project will complement the existing activity within our Cellular Agriculture Research Group and the programme of work of the recently awarded EPSRC Cellular Agriculture Manufacture Hub (CARMA) by testing novel technology developed by industry and utilising our world-leading expertise in bioprocess development to validate this new technology at scale.

About you The successful applicant will have a PhD in a relevant subject (e.g. biochemical engineering, bioprocessing, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering etc), experience of mammalian cell culture and knowledge and experience of working with stirred tank bioreactors. Experience of working with stem cells and microcarriers is highly desirable. Excellent organisational skills are essential. The ability to work both independently and as part of a team, and a flexible approach to problem-solving are required. You should have good communication skills and a demonstrated ability to carry out high quality original research, leading to publication in peer-reviewed journals.