Skills

Decision-making Research Data interpretation

Job Specifications

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)

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.

The Role

This position is centred on maximising lipid recovery through advanced microalgae pretreatment and cell disruption techniques, combined with downstream extraction optimisation.

You will take ownership of experimental design, conduct hands-on laboratory testing, analyse and interpret data, and present structured findings (including both successes and failures) to internal teams.

This role offers the opportunity to lead your own projects, supported by engineering and technical colleagues, while driving innovation in process development.

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

Essential:

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

Desirable:

Experience working with microalgae or microbial biomass
Familiarity with lipid analysis techniques
Exposure to process scale-up or pilot plant operations

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

About the Company

Identify is a middle and senior management recruitment business, we provide top level services to a wide range of client sectors helping them to grow their business. We recruit across a variety of sectors including supply chain & procurement, operations, commercial and accountancy, with a specialist executive search facility headed by our directors. Our Identify Delivery model allows us to provide our clients with dedicated account managers while offering a consistent service through our specialist sourcing team. We help ... Know more