Research Scientist

Oxford Nanopore Technologies · Oxford

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Responsibilities will include:

Preparing DNA and RNA sequencing libraries using established and novel chemistries.
Developing, optimising and troubleshooting molecular biology protocols, including nanopore sequencing workflows.
Planning and independently delivering research projects from experimental design through to data generation and evaluation within an agile research environment.
Performing preliminary data analysis and visualisation using appropriate bioinformatics tools.
Maintaining clear experimental records and producing high-quality protocols, technical reports and project updates.
Collaborating effectively with multiple teams across Oxford Nanopore.
Providing technical guidance and mentorship to junior colleagues and interns.
Staying up to date with developments in sequencing technology, molecular biology and RNA research.

What We’re Looking For...

Essential skills and experience:

PhD , or equivalent research experience, in RNA biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, chemical biology or a related discipline.
Proven background in RNA molecular biology, including RNA purification, enzymatic manipulation and integrity assessment.
Strong understanding of RNA stability, degradation, secondary structure and enzymology.
Demonstrated ability to independently design, optimise and troubleshoot complex experiments.
Familiarity or willingness to develop proficiency in Python, Bash or command-line bioinformatics tools.

Desirable skills and experience:

Experience with long-read transcriptomics, ideally Oxford Nanopore direct-RNA sequencing.
Experience working with synthetic, chemically modified or therapeutic RNA molecules, including an understanding of RNA modification and end chemistry.
Experience developing RNA manipulation, capture or library-preparation methods, and/or studying RNA structure or interactions.
Familiarity with computational tools for bioinformatics analyses and data visualization.
Knowledge of functional genomics, including nucleotide modifications and genome regulation.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies: Our goal is to bring the widest benefits to society through enabling the analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere. The company has developed a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology for faster, information rich, accessible and affordable molecular analysis. The first application is DNA/RNA sequencing, and the technology is in development for the analysis of other types of molecules including proteins. The technology is used to understand and characterise the biology of humans and diseases such as cancer, plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, and whole environments. With a thriving culture of ambition and strong innovation goals, Oxford Nanopore is a UK headquartered company with global operations and customers in more than 125 countries.

This position offers the opportunity to contribute directly to groundbreaking research projects that combine advanced molecular biology, RNA biology, epigenomics and epitranscriptomics, synthetic biology and AI/ML-driven design methods. Our team works closely with internal Machine Learning, Biomolecule Synthesis and wider research groups, contributing to integrated, multidisciplinary research across Oxford Nanopore.

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