Science Technician

Research and Project Technician – Cell Disruption & Microalgae Pretreatment (12-Month Fixed-Term Contract - Extension Subject to Results) - Location: Barrow upon Humber - Monday to Friday (Early finish Friday) - 9am - 5pm About the company The business develops climate-positive solutions from microalgae, producing natural protein- and omega-3-rich ingredients with a reduced environmental footprint. We are scaling innovative biotechnology processes and translating research into commercially viable production methods. We are seeking a driven and hands-on Person to lead research focused on cell disruption, pretreatment, and lipid recovery optimisation from microalgae biomass. Key Responsibilities Cell Disruption & Pretreatment Development Develop and optimise microalgae pretreatment methods to maximise lipid recovery Apply and evaluate techniques including: * Bead milling * Sonication * Enzymatic digestion * Mechanical shear methods Compare disruption efficiency, energy input, scalability, and impact on lipid integrity Identify optimal conditions for EPA-rich oil recovery Solvent Extraction Optimisation Design and execute solvent-based extraction experiments Optimise solvent systems, extraction parameters, and processing sequences Evaluate oil yield, purity, and EPA concentration Improve reproducibility and efficiency of extraction protocols Mechanical Extraction & Separation Conduct mechanical extraction trials Assess separation techniques to isolate oil fractions efficiently Evaluate performance in relation to pretreatment methods Experimental Design & Analysis Plan structured experimental programmes with clear hypotheses Run laboratory and pilot-scale trials Collate and analyse lipid recovery data and process metrics Compare results across methods and present clear conclusions Document both successful and unsuccessful outcomes with technical reasoning Research & Cross-Team Collaboration Stay up to date with current literature and best practices in biomass disruption and lipid extraction Work closely with engineering teams to align lab findings with scale-up potential Present findings to internal stakeholders, supporting knowledge transfer and decision-making Recommend next-phase studies based on comparative results About You Desireable: * MSc/equivalent or above in Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related field * Hands-on experience with cell disruption and pretreatment methods * Experience in solvent extraction optimisation * Strong understanding of experimental design and data interpretation * Confident presenting technical results to cross-functional teams * Driven, analytical, and comfortable leading projects independently What We Offer * 12-month fixed-term contract with extension based on project outcomes * Opportunity to lead and run your own technical projects * Strong collaboration with engineering and R&D teams * A sustainability-focused biotech environment * Work that directly contributes to climate-positive innovation Ideal Candidate We are looking for someone who: * Thrives in hands-on laboratory environments * Is resilient and analytical when experiments fail * Thinks comparatively and scientifically when evaluating methods * Has the drive to innovate and improve processes * Wants to contribute to scalable, sustainable biotechnology