Research Scientist, Peptide Chemistry

Bicycle Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing a novel class of medicines, referred to as Bicycle® molecules, for diseases that are underserved by existing therapeutics. Bicycle molecules are fully synthetic short peptides constrained with small molecule scaffolds to form two loops that stabilize their structural geometry. This constraint facilitates target binding with high affinity and selectivity, making Bicycle molecules attractive candidates for drug development. The company is evaluating zelenectide pevedotin (formerly BT8009), a Bicycle® Toxin Conjugate (BTC®) targeting Nectin-4, a well-validated tumor antigen; BT5528, a BTC molecule targeting EphA2, a historically undruggable target; and BT7480, a Bicycle Tumor-Targeted Immune Cell Agonist® (Bicycle TICA®) targeting Nectin-4 and agonizing CD137, in company-sponsored clinical trials. Additionally, the company is developing Bicycle® Radio Conjugates (BRC™) for radiopharmaceutical use and, through various partnerships, is exploring the use of Bicycle® technology to develop therapies for diseases beyond oncology.

Bicycle Therapeutics is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with many key functions and members of its leadership team located in Cambridge, Massachusetts US.

Culture is key and all Bicycle employees actively embrace and role model our company values:

• We are Adventurous. We believe it's the way to deliver extraordinary results for our patients.
• We are Dedicated to our Mission. You can't change the world if you don't have determination
• We are One Team. We only succeed when we work together.
  

We have an exciting new opportunity for a Research Scientist who will join a dynamic and fast-moving team. You’ll be involved in the synthesis and modification of peptides and Bicyclic peptides (Bicycles) and will be responsible for advancing early stage drug discovery projects from concept to molecule by delivering peptides and reagents for evaluation to help drive Structure Activity Relationship studies. The role will involve close interaction with a range of different teams and disciplines to organise and schedule project activities and to review data and progress.

You should be self-motivated well organised, diligent in record keeping, have a good working knowledge of the drug discovery process and be able to perform consistently at the highest level.

Key responsibilities:

• Solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) using both manual methods and automated peptide synthesizers
• Cyclisation of peptides to generate Bicycle® molecules
• Acquisition and interpretation of a variety of analytical data (such as HPLC, LC-MS, MALDI-TOF) to characterize peptides
• Post-synthetic peptide modifications
• Scheduling peptide synthesis tasks in coordination with other functional groups
• Participation in optimization and automation improvements for enhancing peptide synthesis capacity and efficiency
• Entry of peptides into databases and repositories, ensuring accurate record keeping as well as adherence to H&S policies and standard operating procedures
• A range of basic lab procedures to support wet chemistry
• Effective communication with project teams and colleagues to meet experimental and organizational goals
• Troubleshooting and maintenance of peptide synthesizers and other peptide production related instruments
  

• Educated in peptide chemistry or graduate in Chemistry or related Chemical Science with industry experience in peptide chemistry.
• Specific experience synthesizing peptides including working with automated peptide synthesizers
• Team player with strong communication and motivational skills
• Excellent organizational skills and close attention to detail
• Strong problem solver and adapts well to changing situations
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills and ability to work independently, flexibly and reliably, prioritizing accordingly to the company objectives
• Dependable team player who collaborates and communicates effectively in team environment. Comfortable sharing knowledge with wider company team and, as appropriate, report work to the scientific or industry community
• Confident with requirements of data integrity and use of Electronic Lab Notebooks
• Good time management skills and ability to work to tight deadlines
• Proactive approach to problem solving and strong self-motivation
• A desire to learn and develop, as well as train others.
  

• State-of-the-art campus environment with on campus restaurant and Montessori nursery
• Flexible working environment
• Competitive reward including annual company bonus
• Employee recognition schemes
• 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays + option to buy up to 5 additional days annually
• Employer contribution to pension (employee does not have to contribute)
• Life assurance cover 4x basic salary
• Private Medical Insurance, including optical and dental cover.
• Group income protection
• Employee assistance program
• Health Cash Plan
• Access to company subsidized gym membership.
• Eligibility for an option grant to subscribe to shares in Bicycle Therapeutics plc.
• Cycle to work scheme

Bicycle Therapeutics is committed to building a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. We recognize that diverse and inclusive teams build a stronger and more innovative company. Therefore, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status, marital status, or veteran status.