Cryo-EM Scientific Software Developer

CS/0425 - Cryo-EM Scientific Software Developer

Posted: 09/04/:36 Salary: Competitive Location: Cambridge UK Level: Technical Deadline: 09/05/:59 Hours: 37.5 Benefits: Comprehensive Benefits Package Job Type: Permanent

Astex Pharmaceuticals is a world leader in innovative drug discovery and development. The company has successfully applied its proprietary Fragment-Based Drug Discovery platform to generate multiple new drug candidates that are progressing in clinical development. Successful collaborations have led to three launched oncology drugs (Kisqali partnered with Novartis, Balversa partnered with Janssen and Truqap partnered with AstraZeneca). Astex continues to grow and focuses on Neurological Disorders and Oncology.

Astex has pioneered the use of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) in fragment- and structure-based drug discovery (FBDD and SBDD). We have established a state-of-the-art, in-house cryo-EM facility, including two Glacios and one Krios cryo-electron microscopes, with another Krios to be installed by the end of 2025. We have a fully equipped cryo-EM sample preparation laboratory and extensive and dedicated computing infrastructure (CPU/GPU/storage). We have also developed custom data collection and processing workflows to facilitate the rapid generation and interpretation of cryo-EM structures for SBDD and FBDD. Astex is a member of the Cambridge Cryo-EM Consortium and has multiple collaborations with cryo-EM centres of excellence, including the MRC-LMB, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the CSIC Biocomputing Unit (Madrid) and Monash University (Australia).

The role

We are looking for a talented software developer to join our cryo-EM software team, based in Cambridge, UK. The core responsibility of the team is the development and maintenance of webcryo, our proprietary, high-throughput cryo-EM data processing and visualisation platform. webcryo serves as the backbone for all Astex's cryo-EM structure and fragment-based drug discovery projects and plays a critical role in the operation of our electron microscope facility. The platform features automated data processing pipelines, web-based analysis tools, and seamless integration with our corporate database, which tracks all experimental workflows, including sample purification, preparation, and processing. You will work on building tools to help Astex scientists determine protein-ligand structures using cryo-EM. This includes implementing existing cryo-EM software into our framework, developing innovative new analysis tools, maintaining the current framework and driving our efforts for a clean, and maintainable codebase. There will also be the opportunity to contribute to scientific software development efforts within the wider scientific computing and cheminformatics teams.

Principal Responsibilities

• Implement new methodologies, software packages, and functionalities into the webcryo processing backend.
• Develop and improve our processing backend through the implementation of robust coding practices and the effective use of version control systems.
• Drive the team's efforts for a clean and long-term maintainable codebase including continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) and automated testing.
• Maintain and provide user support for webcryo.

Essential Skills

• Python Programming: Proven software development experience using Python in a collaborative environment including core language features, standard libraries, and best practices.
• Software Development Practices: Familiarity with common software development tools and practices such as version control (e.g., Git), CI/CD, and automated testing.
• Relational Databases: Knowledge of relational database design principles and proficiency in SQL and SQLAlchemy.
• Web development: Experience with HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
• Problem Solving and Collaboration: Creative and self-motivated with excellent problem-solving skills. Ability to work independently and within multidisciplinary teams. Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• A science degree, or equivalent qualification.

Desirable but Non-Essential Skills

• Containerization: Hands-on experience with containerization technologies like Docker.
• Web Development: Experience with TypeScript and modern web frameworks such as React, FastAPI or Flask.
• Cloud computing experience.
• Familiarity with structural biology and structural biology workflows.

Why Astex

We offer excellent training and career development opportunities as well as highly competitive salary and benefits package including hybrid working options to promote a flexible and inclusive work environment.

At Astex we embrace diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse Company representing all backgrounds, harnessing industry-leading scientific innovation and behaviours.

Astex is situated 2.5 miles from Cambridge City centre on the Cambridge Science Park. The Park has onsite sports facilities and excellent transport links to London.

More information

For information on Astex Pharmaceuticals please visit:

For information on Otsuka Pharmaceuticals please visit: