In this short video Sarah Farrow will look at jobs and careers in the proteins, peptides and antibodies industry, the roles that businesses are looking for and the types of skills you need:
Peptides are short chains of amino acids, which can be distinguished from proteins by their size. In industry they are significant in a variety of applications; they can be used to produce peptide antibodies, to study protein-protein interactions, for use in various assays such as ELISAs and in affinity purification
Proteins are 3-D macromolecules made of at least one polypeptide chain. They have various therapeutic uses.
Antibodies are a specific type of protein used in immune responses. In industry they have various uses, including therapeutic applications and in assays such as ELISA, Western Blotting and Immunohistochemistry.
In your career you may be exposed to peptides, proteins and antibodies in various roles. You may work in production; as a fermentation scientist producing proteins or antibodies or a synthetic chemist producing peptides. You may work in protein purification, for example by size exclusion chromatography or affinity chromatography, or in quality control – characterising these products, or using them in assays, or you may work in assay development or in conjugations.
Where are most companies located?
Most companies who produce peptides, proteins or antibodies will work either as suppliers to other organisations or in bespoke, or contract manufacturing i.e. CMOs.
Peptide, Protein and Antibody manufacturers are often centred in industry hubs across the globe. Here in the UK, lots of these companies are found in:
- Cambridge
- Slough
- Central Belt of Scotland
- Teesside in North East England
- West Midlands
- North West – Liverpool/Manchester
What skills do employers look for?
- For Peptides – minimum of a degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry
- For Proteins / Antibodies – Minimum of degree in molecular biology, biotechnology or cell biology
- Experience – It’s a good idea to get some experience in industry, either a gap year or some voluntary experience. A good lab based dissertation or a summer placement.
