Virax Biolabs
R&D Scientist – Assay Development (Immunology)
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R&D Scientist – Assay Development (Immunology)
R&D Scientist
Virax Biolabs UK Ltd is an innovative biotechnology company focused on immune-response detection technologies. The company is developing its flagship ViraxImmune™ profiling platform, aimed at supporting the development of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) assays for chronic and post-infectious conditions, including Long Covid, Lyme disease and ME/CFS. In parallel, Virax Biolabs is expanding ImmuneSelect, a portfolio of products and services supporting immunology and clinical research.
We are recruiting an R&D Scientist to join our Assay Development team, working hands-on with PBMCs and cell-based assays. The role covers two connected priorities: generating data and technical content that support our commercial activity, and contributing to R&D on our IVD assay.
Key Responsibilities
- Isolate, culture, and characterise PBMCs from donor and patient samples to a high, reproducible standard.
- Develop, run, and optimise cell-based immunoassays (including ELISpot/FluoroSpot and flow cytometry), from protocol design through to optimising stimulation conditions and controls, to generate robust, reproducible data.
- Lead antigen-specific T cell stimulation experiments using peptide pools, including selecting or designing pools against target antigens, optimising stimulation conditions and kinetics, and interpreting functional readouts to characterise donor-specific immune responses.
- Translate experimental results into application notes, product comparisons, and technical content that our commercial team can use with customers, and support technical queries from prospective and existing customers.
- Contribute to development, optimisation, and validation of our IVD assay, including supporting validation activities such as precision and reproducibility.
- Maintain accurate, detailed lab records and contribute to SOPs for methods you develop or own.
- Keep up with relevant immunology literature and bring new methods or evidence to the team where useful.
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- PhD or MSc (with relevant lab experience) in Immunology, Cell Biology, or a related life science discipline.
- Hands-on experience with PBMC isolation and culture from whole blood.
- Practical experience with cell-based assays (e.g. functional immunoassays, flow cytometry, or similar).
- Strong written communication skills, able to translate lab data into clear technical documents.
- Familiarity with assay development in a regulated or quality-controlled environment.
What Virax Biolabs Offers
We offer a competitive compensation package, designed to reward performance while supporting long-term growth and flexibility.
- Competitive base salary, aligned with experience
- Performance-based bonus structure
- Employee stock option scheme
- 28 days' annual leave plus UK bank holidays
- Pension scheme with 6% employer and 2% employee contributions
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