Senior Research Associate I

Description
This position is responsible for transient mammalian expression of recombinant proteins and generation, maintenance, and scale-up of stable cell lines. The applicant should be self-motivated, able to work with some autonomy, be adaptable and highly attentive to details, demonstrate strong analytical and organizational skills, and possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Essential Functions:

• Transient transfection of HEK293 and CHO cells for routine recombinant protein production.
• High-throughput transient monoclonal antibody (mAb) expression from 96/24-well plates to large shake-flask cultures.
• Stable cell line generation, single-cell cloning, scale up & maintenance (including but not limited to HEK293 and CHO) for recombinant protein and antibody production.
• Stable cell line generation, single-cell cloning, scale up & maintenance (including but not limited to HEK293 and CHO) for cell surface target expression.
• Large-scale fed-batch culture of stable CHO clones and pools to provide gram-scale quantities of mAbs for further analysis (including but not limited to shake flasks, WAVE bag and benchtop bioreactor systems).
• Routine cleaning and maintenance of incubator shakers and biosafety cabinets.
• Summarizes experimental data and present findings at internal project and department meetings and recommends next steps.
• Maintain organized and accurate records/lab notebooks.
• Follow and adhere to SOPs and laboratory safety regulations.
• Independently solve problems, troubleshoot equipment, optimize and implement procedures and protocols that improve experimental throughput.
• Participate in multi-departmental projects and communicate results to project and group leaders clearly and effectively.
• Assists junior colleagues in troubleshooting.
• Contribute to the general laboratory environment, acting as a good steward/citizen, suggesting, and promoting good laboratory policies.
• May write sections of research study reports, manuscripts, or patent applications.

Competencies:

• Capacity to organize and complete multiple assignments, of varying priorities, while working to deadlines.
• Ability to plan ahead, anticipate bottlenecks and potential risks, and then communicate accordingly.
• Ability to communicate clearly, and to report and present experimental results and analysis to department colleagues.
• Team player, intensely committed to the success of the team/project, and getting the job done well in a highly dynamic environment.
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks of varying priorities and to function in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to work independently and perform experiments to a very high standard.
• Self-motivated, with a results-oriented outlook, adaptable, and highly attentive to details with strong analytical and organizational skills, and excellent interpersonal skills, including written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.

Required Education & Experience:

• Bachelors' degree in Biological Sciences (or related degree) and least 5+ years related experience, or Masters' degree and 3+ years of experience.
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience in stable cell line generation, mammalian cell culture and bioproduction.
• Experience within the field of antibody research is a plus.
• Experience with CHO stable cell line generation & screening for optimal expression by ELISA is a plus.
• Experience with other cell types (bacterial, yeast, baculovirus) for protein production is a plus but not required.

Knowledge Requirements:

• Strong scientific knowledge of recombinant protein expression
• Mammalian cell culture and cell transfection methodologies
• Proficiency working with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Proficiency with sequence analysis software is preferred, including sequence alignments, structure prediction and similarity searches.
• Ability to work with numerous samples in parallel while following detailed scientific protocols and maintaining meticulous scientific record keeping.
• Basic laboratory techniques