Experimental Scientist

Company Description

Serox Ltd is an Oxford-based company at the forefront of medical diagnostics. We are developing a groundbreaking, low-cost, non-invasive diagnostic tool that uses urine samples to identify cancer at the point of need, making early detection more accessible than ever.

To put the importance of early detection into context, the difference between early and late-stage detection can literally ‘flip the odds’ of survival. For example, the 5-year survival rate for stage 1 bladder cancer is relatively high, around 88%, whereas the 5-year survival rate for stage 4 bladder cancer drops significantly to about 15%.

Serox harnesses cutting-edge photonics, quantum sensing, and AI, utilising Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to analyse and classify complex biological fluids. Our disease-agnostic approach allows us to optimise diagnostics for various cancers, enabling the development of multi-test cartridges and personalised diagnostic models.

You will collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, engineers, operations experts, and scientific advisors from various fields, from physical science to life science. You will be working in an agile, fast paced environment, gaining cross-functional experience and making a real impact. We believe our strength is in our people and we truly are an interdisciplinary team. 

Want to be part of this game-changing innovation? Join us and make a real impact in the fight against cancer.

Job Description

Working as a vital part of the science team, you will be leading experimental design to push our technology to the limits and into the clinicians’ hands. You will be planning and overseeing experiments and working on design and utilisation of nanoparticle ‘biosensors’, hardware optimisation and analyte preparation procedures. 

Key tasks include:

•Collaborating with leading scientific and academic partners such as the National Physical Laboratory and the University of Oxford as well as suppliers to solve problems such as calibration and repeatability

•Working with the whole team to solve problems to improve processes, products and practices 

•Developing, conducting, and managing experiments to advance the technology toward clinical trials while ensuring traceability and consistency in our research

•Improving experimental methodologies and approaches through rapid iteration

•Iteration and optimisation of nanoscale biosensors based on analysis of outcomes

•Facilitating processing of clinical samples to generate the large datasets required to apply machine learning techniques 

•Linking findings and outputs to physical observation made experimentally to inform next steps 

Expertise and Skills

Essential Experience

• A fundamental understanding of the behaviour of atoms, molecules and light
• A deep understanding of the interaction between light and matter and/or the interactions between molecules in a biofluid
• Experience designing and running your own experiments
• Hands on laboratory experience working with nanoparticles, physical chemistry, optics, and/or electronics 
• Familiar with interpretation of spectra (ideally Raman spectra)

Desired Experience

• Experience managing externally funded projects 
• Experience in data analysis specifically chemometrics or machine learning
• Previous experience with experiment design and/or product design
• Experience of working in an ISO accredited environment
• Experience of transferring working processes to operators
• Synthesis of nanostructured substrates or colloidal nanoparticles
• A good command of data analysis or acquisition using Python, C++ or similar.

About you

• You are passionate about science, how things work and what could be
• You love learning and identifying and taking on new problems
• You enjoy working within and contributing to a multi-functional team
• You are collaborative and open-minded and seek the input of other specialists
• You are motivated and have self-drive – you take the initiative to get things done

Sharing our purpose, mission, vision and values is very important to us

PURPOSE: To harness the power of deep technology to transform the cost and location of medical diagnostics, enabling earlier disease detection on a population-wide scale.

MISSION:To provide accurate and affordable medical diagnostics directly at the point of need, benefiting patients, physicians, and payers alike.

VISION: To make medical diagnostics more accessible for everyone.

VALUES

INTEGRITY: truth, honesty and trust in everything we do;

COMMITMENT: the ownership, collaboration and self-discipline to get things done;

COURAGE: to challenge, and grow;

LEGACY: how we do what we do every day is our legacy.

If you are interested in this role, please send a copy of your CV together with a cover letter to .