Job Description:
We are seeking a Scientist I/Associate Scientist to join BlueSphere Bio’s T-cell Receptor (TCR) Discovery team. The incumbent will use state-of-the-art instrumentation and techniques for the identification of TCRs that recognize minor histocompatibility antigens, as well as tumor-associated antigens and neoantigens. Additionally, she/he will work with a group of individuals developing a high-throughput platform that is able to isolate and identify rare antigen-specific T-cells from healthy and patient donor samples including solid tumor or PBMCs. Candidates interested in expanding their knowledge and gaining experience in cell-based (TCR-T) cancer therapies and drug discovery are highly-encouraged to apply.
Duties and Responsibilities may include:
- Leveraging molecular biology techniques to design constructs/TMG, clone, and generate lentiviral vectors using proprietary platform technology
- Designing and carrying out experimental plans to functionally characterize TCR- based T cell products through cell-based assays and other relevant procedures to explore and validate novel cell therapy approaches
- Performing end-to-end discovery of neoantigens and novel TCRs in solid tumors, including tumor processing, TIL isolation, single-cell sorting, stable cell line generation, PCR/ddPCR, deconvolution, and novel TCR validation.
- Maintaining detailed and timely records of experimental protocols, results, and observations.
- Identifying experimental challenges and collaborating with the team to troubleshoot technical issues and propose creative solutions to overcome obstacles.
- Stay informed about the latest scientific advancements and applying relevant technologies to improve experimental processes to enhance the efficiency and efficacy of our cell therapy research Process
- Present scientific results to peers and management during regularly scheduled lab meetings
Required & Preferred Qualifications
- PhD in Cancer Biology, Immunology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or related fields is required
- Hands on experience with CAR-T, CAR-NK, TCR-T cell therapies / immunotherapies, including cell culture, immune cell activation/expansion, viral transduction for various types of immune cells
- Profound skills in in vitro and in vivo immune cell characterization and function assessment, such as, multi-color flow immunophenotype, multiplex cytokine measurement, cytotoxicity assay, and other molecular based assays
- Experience with in vitro technologies to assess lymphocyte functionality including but not limited to multi-parameter flow cytometry, MSD, Luminiex, reporter assay, xCELLigence and IncuCyte-based assays, for phenotypic characterization of immune cells, T/NK cell activation, cytotoxicity and proliferation assays is required
- CRISPR-CAS9 editing, lentiviral transduction
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, detail-oriented organization skills, and team collaboration skills
- Industry experience in early discovery therapeutic area is preferred
- This position would require you to be on-site
