Research Assistant, Flow Cytometry - Generative Biology Institute

At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we’re on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges in four transformative areas:

• Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology
• Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture
• Climate Change & Managing CO₂
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

This is ambitious work - work that demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you’ll join a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real-world breakthroughs. Together, we push boundaries, embrace complexity, and create solutions to scale ideas from lab to society. Explore more at www.eit.org.

Welcome to the Generative Biology Institute:

Led by Founding Director Jason Chin, the Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology is tackling the key challenges in making biology engineerable, and thereby unlocking the unrivalled power of biology for the benefit of humanity.

The vision of the GBI is to lay the foundations for engineering biology, and unlock its potential for good. To achieve this, we must overcome two key challenges. First, we need the ability to write in the natural language of biology, enabling the rapid and scalable synthesis of entire genomes with precision. Second, we must understand what to write - determining which DNA sequences will generate biological systems that perform the desired functions. Addressing these challenges will allow us to harness the full power of biology to create transformative solutions across health, agriculture, clean energy and more.   

GBI will have sustained and substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its ground-breaking vision for engineering biology. GBI researchers will also be supported by cutting-edge technology hubs including mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, sequencing, automation, imaging, and bioprocessing. GBI will also have access to substantial compute resources that can be leveraged to further accelerate progress, including scientific compute, bioinformatics, and machine learning. The environment at GBI will allow researchers to undertake ambitious, long-term, collaborative research, and we will actively support the translation of research to commercial applications, where appropriate.  

The Generative Biology Institute commenced operations in 2025, occupying newly renovated bespoke space in the Oxford Science Park. The team will later move to a purpose-made facility in the Oxford Science Park, currently under construction. Once complete, this state-of-the-art facility will include more than 40,000 m² of research laboratory and office space.  It will house over 30 groups and up to 600 employees at scale, focused on solving the two critical challenges in making biology engineerable and applying the solutions to addressing the global challenges encapsulated in EIT’s Humane Endeavors.  

 Your Role:

At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detail orientated Research Assistant to join our Flow Cytometry team within a dynamic research environment. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting departmental research by providing expertise in flow cytometry analysis and cell sorting. As part of a collaborative Technology Hub, you will work closely with diverse research groups in GBI to enable cutting-edge discoveries by applying tailored flow cytometry methods and generating high-quality data.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operate flow cytometry analysers and cell sorters, ensuring accurate and high-quality analytical and sorting performance.
• Develop and implement advanced flow cytometry workflows, adopting emerging technology and approaches, for the characterisation of diverse sample types, including engineered cells and microbial populations.
• Perform data analysis using flow cytometry software (e.g. FlowJo), providing accurate and meaningful interpretation to support research outcomes.
• Provide hands-on training and ongoing support to research colleagues, promoting user autonomy and best operational practice.
• Ensure strict adherence to workflow protocols and safety guidelines when handling and sorting biological samples.
• Collaborate with the team to maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and COSHH documentation, ensuring compliance and consistency.
• Maximise performance and instrument uptime through the maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting of cell analysers and sorters, including coordination of engineer visits for repairs.
• Execute daily quality control procedures.
• Maintain consumable stock levels, ensuring efficient and cost-effective procurement when required.
• Work with Tech Hub colleagues to support operation of the Nikon confocal microscope, including coordinating user booking, assisting with training, and performing routine maintenance.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• A degree in Life Sciences, Bioengineering, or related field, with significant hands-on laboratory experience.  
• Practical experience in fluorescence-based sample staining (e.g. antibody labelling) for flow cytometry or microscopy, including working with mammalian or microbial cells, and murine or human tissues.
• Ability to understand the technical complexity in flow cytometry instrumentation and applications, aligning facility capabilities with the broader objectives of the research programme.
• Good knowledge of flow cytometry principles; experience in troubleshooting and optimising sample preparation and staining procedures.
• Experience of supporting laboratory activities and operation, including ordering consumables, maintaining accurate records, and contributing to SOPs, risk assessment and COSHH documentation.
• Experience in training or mentoring others, with a proactive and collaborative approach.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to work methodically under time pressure while maintaining high standards.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse internal and external audiences.

Desirable skills:

Experience with one or more of the following techniques or areas:

• Flow cytometry applications such as DNA analysis, small particles detection.
• Flow cytometry data analysis using third party software such as FlowJo, FCS Express or Python/R.
• Cell sorting of microbial and/or mammalian cells.
• Experience with confocal microscopy or other fluorescence imaging techniques.

Our Benefits:

• Salary: Competitive + travel allowance + bonus
• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electric Car Scheme

Working Together – What It Involves:

• You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. In certain cases, we can consider sponsorship, and this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford (or be willing to relocate).