Research Scientist Oncology Cell Biology

JOB TITLE: Research Scientist Oncology Cell Biology

LOCATION: Belfast, Future Medicines Institute laboratories

ROLE TYPE: Fixed Term (1 year)

Salary: £32,000-£42,000 per annum depending on experience

Background:

AMPLY Discovery is an AI-enabled drug discovery company developing novel therapeutic programmes from underexplored areas of biology, including the non-coding genome. Our platform integrates computational target discovery, multiomic data analysis, cell biology, target validation and experimental therapeutics to identify and prosecute new drug targets in areas of high unmet medical need. AMPLYs oncology programmes are focused on identifying and validating novel cancer vulnerabilities, including lncRNA-associated targets and pathways, with an initial emphasis on hard-to-treat cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer and haematological malignancies. The company is now seeking a cell biology-focused Research Scientist to support the experimental validation and progression of oncology discovery programmes.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Research Scientist will work as an active member of AMPLYs drug discovery team, supporting cell biology experiments across AMPLYs oncology programmes. The position will be based at the Future Medicines Institute (FMI) Industry research hub at Queens University Belfast and work as part of an existing Amply-FMI R&D programme. The new role will focus on supporting this existing Amply R&D programme at FMI conducting cell-based assays including siRNA/ASO-mediated target knockdown, mechanism-of-action studies and phenotypic screening. The successful candidate will generate high-quality experimental data to support target prioritisation, therapeutic hypothesis testing and progression of AMPLYs internal and partnered oncology programmes.

Main Responsibilities

1. Oncology cell biology and assay development

• Culture and maintain relevant solid and haematological cancer cell lines as well as normal/control cell models.
• Optimise and execute cell-based assays to support oncology target validation and therapeutics discovery, including cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and pathway analysis.
• Support establishment of fit-for-purpose assay workflows suitable for screening siRNA, ASO, peptide, small molecule or other therapeutic modalities.

2. Target validation and functional genomics

• Execute knockdown or perturbation studies using siRNA, ASO, CRISPRi or related approaches.
• Assess knockdown efficiency and biological effect using RNA purification, qPCR, RNA-Seq, Northern Blots, flow cytometry, viability assays and other functional phenotypic readouts.

3. Experimental planning and data interpretation

• Support the AMPLY/FMI Research Fellow in the design of clear, hypothesis-led experiments with appropriate controls, replicates, statistical treatment and go/no-go decision points.
• Troubleshoot assay performance, transfection conditions, cell model variability and data-quality issues.
• Work closely with computational and data science colleagues to connect biological findings with target-discovery outputs and patient-subset hypotheses.

4. Drug discovery programme delivery

• Contribute to the delivery of AMPLYs oncology discovery programmes by generating decision-grade biology data.
• Support screening and optimisation of novel oligonucleotide therapeutics candidates, including siRNAs and ASOs.
• Assist in building evidence packages for internal programme reviews, grant-funded projects, investor updates and partner-facing technical discussions.

5. Laboratory practice, documentation and quality

• Maintain accurate, timely and complete records of laboratory work, including use of electronic laboratory notebook and assay database.
• Ensure that experimental data, protocols and analysis outputs are properly recorded, stored and traceable.
• Follow relevant local health and safety, biosafety, data integrity and laboratory quality procedures.
• Contribute to maintenance of laboratory stocks, reagents, cell banks, assay protocols and shared equipment.

6. Collaboration and communication

• Work collaboratively with AMPLY and FMI colleagues, academic collaborators, CROs and partner laboratories and contribute to scientific discussions.
• Present progress and results clearly at internal programme meetings.
• Prepare concise technical summaries, figures and reports for internal and external stakeholders.

7. Continuous development

• Develop and maintain knowledge of oncology cell biology, RNA-targeted therapeutics, functional genomics and cancer drug discovery.
• Assist in review of relevant literature and competitor activity to inform experimental design and programme strategy.
• Identify opportunities to improve experimental workflows, assay platforms and target-validation capabilities.

Planning and Organising

The post-holder will be expected to:

• Plan day-to-day experimental work within agreed project timelines.
• Support experiments across multiple oncology projects, prioritising as necessary in alignment with the Research Fellow.
• Anticipate reagent, cell line, equipment and scheduling requirements.
• Deliver high-quality data and reports within agreed internal and external deadlines.
• Flag risks, delays, assay failures or data-quality concerns early and propose practical solutions.

Resource Management

The post-holder will:

• Use research resources, consumables and laboratory time efficiently.
• Support good laboratory organisation, including stock control, reagent tracking and sample management.
• Contribute to shared responsibility for laboratory equipment and cell culture facilities.

Internal and External Relationships

The role will involve close working relationships with:

• AMPLYs cell biology team embedded in FMI
• AMPLYs computational discovery team
• CROs and specialist assay providers

The Research Scientist will be expected to communicate clearly, operate collaboratively and represent AMPLY professionally in scientific discussions.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate should have:

• BSc or MSc in biology, pharmacology, biomedical sciences or a related life sciences discipline.
• Strong practical experience in molecular biology and mammalian cell culture techniques.
• Experience in executing cell-based assays such as viability, proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration/invasion or pathway response assays.
• Experience with gene knockdown or target perturbation methods, such as siRNA, ASO, shRNA and CRISPR-related approaches.
• Strong laboratory documentation and data-management discipline.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary team.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Criteria

Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous:

• 2 yrs + relevant laboratory-based research experience.
• RNA biology and RNA-targeted therapeutics discovery.
• High-content imaging, flow cytometry or automated cell-based screening.
• Experience with transcriptional analytical methodologies such as qPCR and/or RNA-Seq analysis
• 3D tumour models, spheroids, co-culture systems or patient-derived models.
• Drug discovery screening workflows including high throughput technologies

Key Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Scientific rigour and strong experimental judgement.
• Practical problem-solving and troubleshooting ability.
• High standards of data quality, reproducibility and documentation.
• Strong collaboration with colleagues across biology, data science and at external partners.
• Flexibility in a fast-moving biotech environment.
• A proactive, delivery-focused mindset.

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