Translational Science Industrial Placement Edinburgh 2023

At LifeArc, we want to hear from people who are as passionate as we are about making life science life changing that can improve patients’ lives.

The Role

Each year we offer around twelve Industrial Placements to students who are interested in early Therapeutic Discovery and/or Diagnostic Development. This is an opportunity to get involved in exciting project work at our Centre for Integrated Diagnostics in Edinburgh based at the Bio-Quarter – a LifeSciences Hub located adjacent to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Join us and you’ll support our teams working across a number of areas in the diagnostic development process and work closely with our expert team members to gain valuable experience in areas such as:

• Assay development
• Nucleic acid extraction (DNA, RNA)
• PCR optimisation (qPCR, RT-qPCR and digital PCR) and evaluation of novel PCR technologies
• Application of Next-generation sequencing for progressing diagnostic opportunities
• Running of clinical studies, obtaining clinical samples and associated processes that comply with necessary ethics and regulatory requirements.
• Data Science (clinical data analysis, RNA-seq, Microarray, Blast, sequence alignment).
• Machine Learning / AI – in relation to clinical data sets
• Molecular microbiology (cell culture, bacterial culture)
• Working in accordance with ISO 13485 – the industry standard for quality management systems for In-Vitro Diagnostics
• Working as part of a cross functional team to progress cutting edge diagnostic projects to patient benefit

During your placement, we’ll expect you to deliver regular presentations of experimental results and conclusions to the project team, while maintaining high-quality written and/or electronic lab notebook records of your research. In return, you will have the opportunity to use the work you do here to assist with your degree submission and gain research experience.

About You

Education and Experience Required

Typically, you will currently be in your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year and studying for your first degree. You must be available to commence a 12-month placement from September 2023 as part of your degree course. You should be studying one of the following disciplines:

• Biochemistry
• Biological Sciences
• Biomedical Sciences
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Data Sciences
• Life Sciences
• Medical Science
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Molecular Genetics
• Neuroscience
• Statistics

Skills and Strengths we are looking for during the assessment process:

• Relevant degree subject (see above) and on track to achieve at least a 2:1 classification
• Collaboration
• Drive and Determination
• Analytical
• Inquisitive and Innovative
• Adaptability
• Desire to learn
• Effective Communicator

Salary: £21,000 (£20,000 base, plus £1,000 allowance, which can be taken as cash, or used for additional benefits).

About Us

At LifeArc, our ambition is to make life science life changing. We do this by advancing scientific discoveries beyond the lab, faster, so that they can shape the next generation of diagnostics, treatments, and cures.

Working at the cutting edge of translational science and as the early-stage translation specialists, we progress scientific discoveries on their journey to becoming a medicine, diagnostic or intervention that can improve patients’ lives. Our work begins by seeking out innovative science, then helping to develop this to a point where there is a clinical and commercial pathway for others to invest the time and money to take it further forward.

What we can offer you

Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.

Join us, and you’ll have the scope to be creative and take measured risks. You’ll be rewarded for your curiosity, for working as one team, and for learning fast. And you’ll have everything you need to be your best every day.

We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.

Application Process

The online application form will open on Friday 16 September and closing date for the application form is Friday 21 October 2022. As part of the online application process, you will need to attach your CV. Please try to keep your CV on 2 pages. Where possible, please also include your end of year module grades in the education section of your CV.

If your online application form is successful, you will be invited to complete a short strength-based video interview, known as Snapshot. Full instructions and guidance on how to approach and prepare for a strengths-based assessment will be provided before you complete the Snapshot.

We are also proud to be using Rare Recruitment's Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) which allows us to consider your achievements in the context in which they were gained. We understand that not every candidates’ achievements look the same on paper – and we want to recruit the best people, from every background.

Your placement needs to be part of an undergraduate degree and approved by your university. For this placement, you must be available to start in in September 2023.

Please be aware that some of our placements require students to work with human biological samples (HBS). Those students who maybe at an increased risk of occupational exposure of Hepatitis B due to this work will be offered the relevant course of vaccinations and titre checks in order to protect them in the work environment. This is entirely voluntary and offered to all employees, where required.